Changes
by hpluv3r
Summary: For Harry, nothing stays the same for long. Taken from the Dursleys by an unexpected savior, Harry is thrown into a new life. With new friends... and enemies, what will become of his destiny? Post Ootp. warning for abuse and OCs later.
1. The tide turns

It was your average day at Privet Drive. Families were out, children going about their boisterous ways... all but one, that is. A small boy, hardly visible from behind the bushes, was hard at work weeding the lawn, the other occupants of the house out to his cousin's boxing tournament.

Harry Potter was achingly going through the endless list of chores his uncle had left for him that morning. His mind, however, was elsewhere, reliving his most recent nightmare. The death of his godfather was still fresh in his mind, and he fruitlessly attempted to exhaust his guilt into the task that lay before him.

There was no way in hell he could finish by noon, Harry thought broodingly to himself as he walked to the hose for some water. He'd been out in the blazing sun for over two hours.  
The front door slammed shut, making it known that he was no long alone.

_Damnit..._

"BOY!" his Uncle Vernon bellowed.

"You've done absolutely NOTHING. No good waste of space, you are. Can't even earn your keep!" Harry's face remained void of emotion. There was nothing he could do to make the situation any better, and his mind was still lost behind the veil. A vicious slap knocked him out of his reverie and he could only gape in in shock, mouth agape and now fully coherent.

He had always been knocked about here and there, but his uncle had never dared to outright strike him since his he started Hogwarts.

"I'll not have those FREAKS threatening me after all we've done for you. Expect us to wait on you hand and foot no doubt. I won't have it!"

Vernon violently grabbed the small boy by his hair and all but threw him into Dudley's second bedroom, bolting the door behind him. Shocked, exhausted, and emotionally distraught, Harry collapsed into bed, immediately falling into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning, Harry was woken by a sharp rap on the door from his aunt. A dull ache in the side of his head brought back recollection of his Uncle's new found courage. He looked into the mirror and grimaced, obeserving the gruesome purple bruise that had formed. After wasting precious time trying to conceal it, he was forced to give up. He carefully made his way down the stairs, still half asleep.

Not a second later the thoughts of sleep were knocked right out of him alongside the air from his lungs as he tripped face-first into the ground.

He looked up to see his cousin Dudley snickering like the overweight pig we was. Viciously, Harry's Aunt Petunia then pulled him up by the arm and shoved him towards the stove.  
She muttered the customary "don't burn anything" and assumed he knew the rest.

Home sweet home.

After making breakfast, Harry made to sit in his place at the table when Vernon intervened.

"Oh no, you're not eating until you have every single one of those chores done. The ones you didn't finish yesterday and the ones today. Out!" he shooed him.

Annoyed, Harry walked outside, when a sudden noise caught his attention. The sound resembled wood clattering against a hard surface. He froze and listened carefully. He was almost positive he had heard swearing.

Swallowing nervously, he moved to look behind a bush down towards the end of the lawn, where it sounded like the noise had come from. He pulled his wand out from the holster that clung to his thigh. If this were a death eater ready to have at him, he wouldn't be a sitting duck. About to look over the bush, the crack of apparition reverberated through the air. Someone was watching him.

His mind reeled with possibilities. Surely a death eater couldn't have broken through the wards. Harry could only hope that it had just been someone from the Order.

Turning around, he bumped into the blob that was Uncle Vernon, who was far too close to Harry for his liking.

"What the bloody hell are you doing with that… THING? Why is it not it locked it up with the rest of your freakishness?"

Vernon grabbed the wand and made to snap it in half when suddenly it disappeared from his hand. Next thing he knew, the scrawny teen was making a sprint for the house, wand in hand.

"POTTER! You will not get away with this! I will not tolerate that frea…"

His voice lowered considerably as he swiftly looked around, assuring himself that none of the neighbors had heard him. He looked up to see Mrs. Figg looking out her upstairs window. He smiled and waved.  
"I apologize dearly for the racket, Mrs. Figg. The boy can be... stubborn at times."

Vernon swore under his breath, making a beeline for the house with only one thing in mind.

Harry was frantic when he realized how stupid it had been to run into the house where he was trapped. Vernon was heading straight for him. He lifted Harry up by the collar of his shirt and told him, in a voice barely above a whisper, that he would pay for daring to attempt such freakishness in his presence.

He dragged Harry up to the bedroom, threw him onto the floor, and started to unbuckle his belt.

No bloody way… was all Harry could think before he was roughly lifted once more and shoved against the wall. He immediately began to struggle, desperately wanting to get away from the meaty fist that was choking him.  
"This'll teach you, Potter. No more of this nonsense. I. wont. HAVE IT!"

Vernon, belt doubled in his hand, began to rain down lashes onto the struggling boy. Defiance shone in Harry's eyes throughout the entire ordeal, as it was the only thing he was able to do to reserve what was left of his pride. Every scorching welt simply fueled his determination. He would not break, he would not be bent to his Uncle's sadistic pleasure without a fight. He may have been defenseless in past years, but he was older now. He could manage. What seemed to be hours later, the belt stilled, as did everything else.

Nothing could be heard but Harry's ragged breathing as he nearly fell to unconsciousness. The sound was a sharp contrast to the deep silence that was left in the strap's wake. Vernon left not a second later.

* * *

"Headmaster I really must insist that we continue searching. Do remember that we will not be allowed entrance to Grimwauld Place until we have express permission from the heir!"

Remus Lupin was clearly agitated, everything crashing down upon him all at once. They were all surprised to discover that Sirius had not left the estate to his best friend.

"Not to worry," Albus Dumbledore said calmly.

"Albus it is prudent we find the owner before Hogwarts reopens!", Remus carried on.

But Dumbledore continued as though uninterrupted.

"I already have an idea as to who it may be."

Minerva McGonagall, who was silent until this point, sighed.

"Well… so long as you have this under control, Albus."

A thought suddenly came to her.

"Is no one keeping an eye on Mr. Potter today? That boy seems to find trouble at every instant and everyone is currently present..."

Mischievous glint in his eyes, Dumbledore was quick with his answer.

"Not everyone, Minerva."

At first, McGonagall was at loss, but not five seconds later her eyes widened with realization.

"But headmaster, how did you do it? I asked him to cover for me a few weeks ago, and he looked at me as if I were mad to even suggest the idea!"

Dumbledore smiled. "Let's say that it was quite simple once I revealed to him the attendees of this meeting." He glanced at the Weasley twins, who stared back levelly.

"Well, you should be happy we got rid of the git.", they said surely.

"Fred! George!" Molly Weasley looked at them disapprovingly.

"Yes mother?" they responded together innocently.

* * *

Severus Snape was not happy. He'd been made to choose between those ghastly Weasley twins and Potter, of all people. He'd quickly chosen the latter, however, after being informed that all he would do was look in on the boy for a bit, and that no confrontation was necessary, or even approved of.

Finally reaching Number Four Privet Drive, invisibility charm in place, Severus' attention was caught emmediately by the racket coming from the backyard. Alert, he made his way towards the back of the house.

Of course it was Potter. At first glance, one would think he was simply lazing about. But as Severus got a closer look from behind a bush, he realized that Potter was... weeding the lawn!

Snape smirked at, refusing to acknowledge the surprise that he felt. At least the boy's relatives weren't letting him laze about _all_ day. His attention was then caught by the bruise on the young wizard's face. Leaning in to get a closer look, Severus swore angrily as his wand slipped through his robes and clattered to the floor. It was such an uncharacteristically careless thing for him to do. He would have been as good as dead in any other situation.

Looking up, he saw that Potter was headed towards him. Despite knowing that sound of apparition was easily detected, Severus would rather not let Potter know that it was him that was there, for various reasons. If the boy wrote of the situation to the headmaster, it would be cleared up easily. With a crack, Snape was gone.

If only he had waited for a few more minutes...


	2. Keeper of Grimwauld Place

_Pain._

_Wracking through his body. _

_Feet numb, frostbitten._

_Lungs on fire about to explode._

_So close!_

_The sound of frantic running was getting louder and louder from behind him._

_A hand reaches from behind him and grabs hold of the cup._

NO!

_Their eyes lock._

_The dead, empty, soulless eyes of Cedric Diggory. _

_of Sirius Black, as he falls backwards into the veil. _

"SIRIUS!"

_Lupin tries in vain to grab hold of him. _

_Harry falls headfirst through the veil, in wake of his godfather. _

_Falling. Falling deep into the endless darkness._

_"SIRIUS! Noo! I… I… I'm sorry!" he sobbed._

_The pain racking through his body peaks as he collides with the bottom of the pit._

His eyes tear open and Harry finds himself staring at the ceiling from the floor of Dudley's second bedroom. Chest heaving and his eyes blurred with unshed tears, he attempts to get up before realizing that not all of it was a dream.

The entire back of his body was on fire. Carefully sitting up, Harry painstakingly peeled off what was left of Dudley's old garments, and went to survey the damage. There wasn't too much blood, but it certainly hurt something awful, and it didn't look any better.

Moving to get some clothes, a a knot formed in his stomach. Had he screamed in his sleep? His uncle certainly wouldn't be pleased at that prospect.

After waiting anxiously for a few minutes, Harry gingerly placed himself onto the bed on his stomach, fruitlessly attempting to get some sleep in the few moments he had left.

* * *

Apparating to Hogsmeade, Severus mind was reeling. He reasoned that, if Potter were as clumsy with everything as he was with Potions, he could have easily fallen and earned that bruise by his own doing.

But, though he hated to admit it, the boy did have excellent balance in Quidditch, obviously inherited from that reckless father of his.

Perhaps it was a muggle brawl of some sort, but he did not see the other bruises needed to support such a theory. The boy was probably nothing but a coward, running in fear after the first punch to his precious face... Still pondering the strange bruise, his reverie was interrupted as he noticed Dumbledore lingering by the gates.

"Ah, Severus. I see you're back already," Dumbledore said, looking pointedly at him.

"It seems so." he responded, annoyed by the headmaster's need to point out the obvious.

Dumbledore just smiled in response.

"I believe I've found the heir to the Black house. Would you care to join me in notifying him?"

"Believe me, Albus, when I say I've had enough excitement for one day."

"Very well, then. I'll be off," Albus said, walking down towards the end of the school's wards.

"Right... I shall be in my quarters if needed.", Severus said, his attitude clearly stating that he better not be needed.

* * *

Harry is awoken for the second time, only this time by his aunt's screeching. His back and head were still aching, and he silently wondered whether or not his aunt actually gave a damn about what his uncle did to him. The idea wasn't exactly promising. He made his way downstairs and got about making the breakfast he wasn't allowed to eat.

Vernon barely spared him a glance, even when handing him the list of chores. It seemed like nothing was amiss, and recent occurrences never took place. Harry made his way upstairs, deciding to start with the indoor chores. He'd rather not work in the hot morning sun, and he was still panicky about the person who had been watching him the other day.

A loud knock on the front door, accompanied by a shrill scream, was what broke the silence. Not five minutes later, Harry heard the pounding of his uncle's footsteps as he came up the stairs. The door of Dudley's room, which he had been cleaning, swung open with a loud bang. Harry was once again pinned to the wall by his Uncle, face forward this time. The dark haired boy breathed in sharply as he made contact with the wall, then he forced himself to concentrate on Vernon's words.

"One word about anything, and you're dead! Do you hear me boy?"

All this was said in a harsh whisper that made Harry curious. Terrified, or course, but curious. He silently nodded his head in agreement with his uncle. He took on look at his clothes and prayed that he didn't look too horrible. At least the t-shirt was large enough to cover most of the bruises, and Vernon had stayed away from his face, probably to avoid any attention being drawn to him. From the top of the staircase he could see Professor Dumbledore calmly sitting on the Dursleys' couch, awaiting his appearance.

"Ah! Harry, my boy! How are you!" Dumbledore asked.

Harry was still confused, and ignored the question.

"Hello professor… err... what brings you here?"

"Have a seat, my boy. I have some news for you."

"What is it?" Harry responded, ignoring the invitation to sit down.

"It's about the heir to your godfather's house," said Dumbledore. Harry heard a sharp intake of breath from somewhere behind him.

"What about it?" Harry asked, a bit anxious.

"I have reason to believe that _you_ are now head of the Black estates."

Harry said nothing, a lump forming in his throat. He was touched at the notion that his godfather had left him the Black house. The guilt churned in his stomach like acid. "Wow... I thought it would be left to Remus," said Harry, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Yes, I had initially assumed that also," Dumbledore replied, "but alas, it is not Remus. So, who else would he leave his belongings to, but his own godson?"

This statement nearly brought tears to Harry's eyes. Out of the corner of his eye Harry then noticed his relatives huddled by the door, eyes wide and shoulders tense. Vernon expectedly looked like he was about to explode.

"So, we will take a trip to headquarters to see if my inquiries are correct."

A 'Yes, sir' was Harry's only reply before they headed for the door. Apparently Vernon found some senseless courage as Harry and Dumbledore walked to the door.

"Where are you going? Where are you taking him? The boy's been ours since your lot dropped him off on our doorstep."

At first, Harry was startled by the fact that his uncle wasn't jumping for joy about his departure. But, then again, they would be losing their house elf... or it could be just an act, yes that must be it.

Dumbledore replied, "Not to worry, Mr. Dursley. Harry will be back in no more than a few hours." Vernon grunted.

"Fine", he mumbled, sending Harry a glare that could be easily read. With that said, the two wizards left.

"So, how are you, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as they walked to to apparition point.

"Fine." he responded.

A few seconds of silence passed before the headmaster spoke again.

"You realize, Harry, that we could not wait until you returned to school for this. With Voldemort on the move, we must be prepared for anything at any moment. We cannot continue as we were without securing your permission."

Harry nodded. Dumbledore grabbed hold of his arm, and they were gone, thankfully before Dumbledore could notice Harry's resulting flinch.

Harry fell with a loud thump, losing his balance and grimacing in pain. His back didn't hurt _that_ much anymore, nothing he couldn't handle, but falling flat onto a concrete sidewalk was painful on a normal day.

He thought back to his uncle's words. If he were to tell someone what went on at Privet Drive, word would get out somehow, and the entire wizarding world would find out... but then he might not have to go back... but then he would be seen as weak and unable to defend himself from a Muggle... but then… argh... this was giving him a headache, and it wasn't worth all the trouble that snitching would cause, especially if they sent him back anyway. Any more threats to the Dursleys would probably kill him, and he wouldn't be surprised if the order actually knew what was happening. Dumbledore did have a way of just knowing things after all...

After thinking he location and having the house appear, Harry reached for the brass handle of the door to Grimwauld place. When it didn't shove him out onto the sidewalk, his new status was confirmed. He entered and was immediately overwhelmed with memories. Instead of Sirius' there to greet him, a thin layer of dust covered every inch of the dark empty hallway. He wanted to break down right there, but he didn't. He just looked at Dumbledore and wordlessly signed the bottom of the scroll that he was presented with. He didn't care to read it. He just wanted to get out of there. The scroll disappeared, probably flying through the ministry somewhere.

Without looking back, he and Dumbledore left the house. They made their way to the Dursleys' home in silence, Dumbledore well aware of Harry's sorrow. The Headmaster quickly apparated to Hogsmeade after bidding him goodbye at the door. Shortly after entering the house, Harry found himself in the now-familiar position of being smashed against the wall.

"What did you tell him?" asked Vernon.

Harry blew up, pushing his grief aside and welling up in anger. His voice starting out controlled.

"I. didn't. say. ANYTHING. LET GO OF ME!" He tried with all his might to break free from his uncle's grasp and succeeded by falling to the ground. Vernon was caught off guard and quickly tried to gather himself as he picked up the boy.  
"Liar!" he said.

"I'm not lying! I didn't tell him anything!" Harry laughed darkly.

"Do you think I would still be here if I did?" Harry himself was not sure if this was true though.

Vernon huffed, throwing his nephew back to the ground, and leaving. Harry laid there for a few seconds before making his way back to Dudley's second bedroom.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Vernon, as he made his way out of the kitchen.

"Up..." was all Harry said, pointing out the obvious.

"No, you're not! Just because one of those freaks got you out of your chores for a few hours, doesn't mean your excused from them. I want these finished today!" he said, handing Harry a list.

Harry grabbed the list and stalked outside, he wouldn't have been able to finish the list had he a full day. Ten minutes into cleaning the windows, he heard the steps of someone behind him. He turned around swiftly, bracing himself.

"Professor!" he exclaimed, confused.

"Hello, Mr. Potter. How are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall.

"Everything is fine. You didn't have to come, you know. Professor Dumbledore was here earlier."

"Yes, I heard you are heir to the Black estates. Congratulations." Harry nodded. McGonagall put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Harry. Summer will be over soon. Don't dwell on the past too much; it's over and done with." She continued, more quietly this time. "Sirius would have hated to see you hurting like this Harry..."

They spoke quietly for a few more minutes before McGonagall had to leave. With a sigh, Harry resumed working until dizziness forced him down, the lack of food starting to catch up with him. He went inside for some water and then went upstairs. He wouldn't have been able to finish his chores anyway. He barely made it to the bed before passing out, wary of the days to come.

Review please!


	3. So close!

Not ten minutes after falling asleep, Vernon came crashing through the door, waking Harry abruptly.

"BOY! Do you not understand English? You've been nothing but a pain in the arse, and now you're taking a nap?! You think that since your freak teacher came by today you could do whatever the hell you wanted? I won't stand for it! You will pay for this boy! You will never even think to skip out on your chores after today. I will NOT have you lazing about!"

There was no moment open for the sleep-muddled Harry to even consider defending himself. Vernon viciously backhanded him with a slap that would have shoved him off the bed if not for the death grip on his hair.

When Vernon let go, he did fall to the floor, where Vernon proceeded to kick him hard in the stomach. Harry only dry heaved in response... nothing in his stomach to throw up.

"Well? Get up then!"

Harry began struggling to get up, only to be kicked again. He couldn't help but flinch as his uncle reached for his belt.

_Damnit!_ Not again. This scenario was getting old pretty quickly.

This time the belt hit him every which way. It seemed to hurt worse than the last time, or maybe he just forgot how horrible it was.

Harry blacked out. And with one last kick to his shin, Vernon left the room, his nephew curled up unconscious on the floor.

When Harry came about he couldn't get up with the amount pain and dizziness he was feeling. He had slept through the night and into the next morning. Which was surprising for two reasons. For one, he'd had a dreamless sleep, which was far in between these days. Second, he was expected to be awake and making breakfast over an hour ago. How was he still here?

His thoughts were sidetracked, however, when Dudley came running up the stairs. Harry, not feeling up for his cousin's ridicules, feigned unconsciousness. And as the heavy footsteps subsided, he opened his eyes once more, unsure of what to do.

He could get in trouble both for "lazing about" in his room, and also for leaving his room without permission. Either way, he'd probably end up in trouble, so he chose the lesser of two evils and crawled into the bed.

Trying to ignore the pain, he again drifted into unconsciousness, and somehow stayed there for the entire day. The next day, Harry did hear the sharp morning rap from his aunt. Bitter as he was, he was grateful for the reprieve. His entire body ached ruthlessly, and he couldn't move without inflicting pain. He couldn't imagine being expected to do anything while the wounds were still fresh.

_If I hurry, maybe I can get cleaned up a bit before I go downstairs_, he thought.

Harry limped to the loo and stood in front of the sink. He saw in the mirror that the belt had found its way to his face at one point and left an angry, red mark from beneath his right eye down to the small of his neck. _No way to hide that_, he thought. He washed up and made his way downstairs, sure he was going to be made to do the chores he'd missed for the last two days along with today's. Just as he reached the kitchen, Vernon looked as if he were just about to go upstairs to get him. He walked towards Harry at full speed.

Harry barely concealed a flinch and couldn't help but move back a few steps. Vernon roughly pulled him forward and yelled at him to hurry up and be faster next time.

His aunt actually gave him two pieces of toast when his uncle was done. Could she possibly feel guilty? No, she couldn't possibly. A thought came to him. Maybe cooking more than enough would get them to give him some . He'd try it tomorrow. His mind told him that he could get in trouble for wasting food, but that idea disappeared at the thought of the way Vernon and Dudley ate.

Vernon came back with three different lists and pushed them all into Harry's chest. The breath was expelled from his lungs and he was in even more pain. "No. More. Warnings." Vernon glared at his nephew and all but threw him outside. As Harry started limping towards the tool shed, he pondered what his uncle had said. How the bloody hell was that a warning? If that was a warning, he'd be dead in no time. He gingerly sat down in front of the tool shed and restlessly surveyed the damage. He didn't want his uncle attacking him again.

He got out the lawn mower and as he slowly began to mow the grass, Remus Lupin came up to him.

"Hello, Harry! How are you?" Lupin asked.

"I'm fine Prof… Remus." Harry looked at Remus with what he hoped was a believable smile.

"That's go...Harry, what happened to you face?" he looked at the bruise concernedly.

Harry said the first thing that came to mind.. "I was playing baseball, it's a Muggle sport. I was to close to the pitcher and I got hit with the bat… by accident of course." He stammered and lightly touched the mark on his face. Harry then had the though to smile sheepishly at the ridiculous excuse he came up with.

"Okay. So, and why are you limping?" he asked, remembering that he had seen Harry limping to the shed.

"It was a rough game. My ankles and knees are all torn up." Harry continued with his tale.

"And your relatives are still making you do these chores?' Lupin replied, aghast and slightly suspicious.

"It's ok. Really. I don't mind… I have nothing else to do anyway."

For some reason he couldn't understand, he was getting slightly defensive.

"Would you like me to go and tal.." "NO!"Harry blurted out, interrupting Remus.

"I mean… it's ok… I really don't mind. It keeps me busy."

"Ok, so let me heal those wounds for you then." Remus insisted.

"They would notice if I was suddenly fine, and you know they're not a fan of magic." Harry replied, this time being truthful.

The lists in Harry's hands caught his attention, and he snatched them away before the teen had a chance to protest. He reviewed the lists and, with a flick of his wand, nearly all the outdoor chores were done. Harry was extremely grateful for this and, for a few seconds, he actually believed that he might have a chance of finishing his chores. Then he realized that no one would be able to finish all those chores in two hours without the aid of magic, and his uncle might figure that out as well.

Ignoring that for the moment, he turned back to Lupin.

Harry forced another smile and said, "Thanks, now I can do things more properly."

"Anytime, Harry. Although I really must go now. That bruise may take a while to go away. If it scars, you can have Poppy fix it when you return to Hogwarts. Try to be more careful, Harry."

Remus looked very closely at him before portkeying away. It warmed Harry a bit to feel the care his former professor's words.

Since the outdoor chores were finished, Harry went inside to begin dusting the furniture only to run into his uncle watching the telly. It didn't take very long for him to notice the teen.

"I told you I didn't want you in here until you'd finished the outdoor chores!" Vernon was already turning purple and was about to get up.

Flinching, Harry said, "I've finished, Uncle Vernon." He was sure that he would pass out if he were thrown against the wall again.

"Impossible, boy! Those chores were meant to last you quite a few hours. You don't have that... stick with you do you" he asked dangerously.

"You've locked it away, you know that!" Harry responded defensively.

Vernon backhanded him so hard that it caused him to stagger back few steps.

"Check for yourself! I swear they're all done." the boy insisted. Vernon huffed.

"Fine. Go work upstairs. I'm busy here. And believe me boy, you don't want me finding out that you've been lying to me." Harry nodded, not doubting his uncle for a second.

Climbing the stairs was painful. His welts were throbbing, especially the one on his face, where his uncle had just hit him on top of the welt. Harry felt a headache coming on. He snuck into the loo for some Muggle medicine before heading off to clean Dudley's room once again. It was impossible for the oaf to keep his room clean for more than a minute. Harry shook his head and started cleaning.

He started to daydream about what life might have been like with his parents. He didn't do it much, but at this point he just wished he was out of this place. He chest ached as his godfather came to mind. He would get out. He just needed to bide his time.

* * *

Ron and Hermione at his sides, Harry made his way to his usual seat at the Welcoming Feast for his sixth year. Headmaster Dumbledore was standing up, about to give his speech when the doors to the Great Hall slammed open. Standing there, was Sirius Black, cloaked in black. The room became deadly silent as he made his way up to Harry. He stopped right next to his godson, his head down. "Harry," Sirius said in a quiet voice rather unlike his own. Harry said nothing. He felt dizzy enough to faint and had unshed tears in his eyes at the memory of his godfather's supposed death.

"Why did you kill me?" That did it.

"I'm so sorry Sirius." he whispered, tears escaping his eyes.

"I deserve a little revenge, Harry. Don't I? Don't we all?" he noticed Cedric in the distance, standing besides people he didn't recognize. They were cloaked in black as well. His chest tightened as he noticed his parents standing there as well.

Sirius pointed his wand, not at Harry, but at Ron.

" No Sirius! Why are you doing this? It was my fault! Don't hurt Ron! Think about his family. He hasn't done anything!" Harry was frantic.

At this, Sirius looked up. Something about him was off. Instead of kind blue eyes, Sirius' eyes were now red. Blood red. And the looked hollow. It was horrifying. Sirius laughed darkly.

"Why should I kill you and put you out of your misery? No, Harry, it's suffering that you deserve. Your friends will die because of you."

Harry couldn't understand what has happening. The Sirius he knew would never do something like that. He looked around. The headmaster had disappeared, as well as the other professors. Only Ron, Cho, Sirius, Neville, and Hermione remained; all petrified except Sirius, Ron, and himself. This was wrong. This couldn't be his godfather. But it was. Harry admitted to himself that he did deserve to suffer for what he'd done, but at the expense of his friends? No.

Sirius started to chant, "Avada ..."

"Nooooo!" Harry tuned out the rest of the curse with his scream, which abruptly ended as the breath was knocked out of him.

"Sirius, why? I'm sorry…"

"SHUT UP, damnit." Vernon kicked the screaming, dark-haired boy that was writhing on the ground.

Harry awoke, immensely glad to be out of the horrific nightmare. Tears poured down his face, his body in pain. His head throbbed, and his throat hurt. He could barely hear the sound of his own voice. He was pretty sure that he was begging his uncle to stop, but he was in too much pain, physically and emotionally to fell any sort of pride. He just wanted Vernon to leave him be. He wanted everything to just stop.

His pleas reached deaf ears, unsurprisingly. Stoicism was the best route. Anyways, he had killed Sirius. It was his fault. _Everyone who ever gave a damn about me dies! _The nightmare has some truth to it. Was this his payment for what he'd done? How many other people had his existence been the expense of?

"People are trying to sleep... probably woke the neighbors with that howling..."

Vernon was still ranting but Harry didn't care. The emotional diatribe had engulfed him. He snapped out of it when he the door slammed. His uncle had no doubt realized that Harry had stopped yelling and went back to bed. Harry couldn't manage to climb back onto the bed, and fell asleep on the spot, awaiting the nightmare soon to come.

The next time Harry awoke, it was 6 AM, five hours later. He'd had no other nightmares, thankfully. It was abnormally quiet in the house, and Harry realized that the Dursleys must have gone out.

He didn't move. Just lay there thinking. Maybe he could run away to the Weasley's. But at the same time, he didn't want to be a burden. They struggled financially as it was, they didn't need another mouth to feed. And if he were to go there, someone would be bound to find out about his injuries. Harry didn't want to be subjected to their pitying stares.

Harry laughed darkly. Remus, Dumbledore, or even Mrs. Weasley, would kill Vernon. Couldn't have more people dying because of him. Besides, he didn't want to endanger them with his presence.

He couldn't die at his uncle's hand, though. It would cause more people, a lot more people, to die because of Voldemort. No, it was kill Voldemort or be killed by him. Harry could not let the latter happen. Once Voldemort was dead, he could finally die too, without causing mass hysteria. He could be with his parents… and Sirius… if they could forgive him, that is.

He didn't deserve to be with them, Harry thought sadly. He'd stay with the Dursley's. He could take it. He doubted his uncle would actually kill him; he wouldn't go through the trouble.  
Harry felt sick and slowly made his way to the kitchen, ecstatic to see no one was there. He found a note on the table.

_'Went out. Have these done.", _it said. Attached was the list of chores.

It was just like his uncle to not tell him when they'd be back. For all Harry knew, they could be back in an hour, or even tomorrow morning. So much for the big breakfast plan. He'd make a quick walk to the grocery store instead.  
After taking a quick shower and nicking a few cough drops, Harry went to get his money from underneath the loose floorboard. By the time he limped off to the store it was twelve noon.

Quite a few people eyed him suspiciously when he arrived. At first he was confused, but then he remembered that his aunt and uncle had told everyone that he went to St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys. He grabbed some junk food and sodas and went to pay.

The clerk was one on those who were staring at him, though not exactly suspiciously.

"What happened to you?" the guy asked.

"Er… nothing," Harry replied. "I just got into a fight with some of the guys." Might as well stick to the story Uncle Vernon told them.

"Don't look like a fist made that mark. Looks like a welt. Who whipped you?", the man said.

Harry tried to look at the man as if he were crazy, but he failed miserably and felt his cheeks burn.

"It's none of your bloody business, alright? I was just fighting off some guys who tried to jump me!"

The cashier said nothing and waved him off after ringing everything up. Harry tried to stay mad at the guy, but he couldn't. At least the guy noticed what no one else did… not that he wanted anyone to notice or anything. He was just annoyed. It was none of that guy's bloody business what Harry did and what happened to him. Not like anyone else gave a damn anyways. Harry checked the time and saw that he'd stayed way too long at the store.

He took off as fast as he could without making it obvious how hard it was for him to walk. About to cross the street, it was as though things started to move in slow motion.

There was a girl, she looked about eight. She seemed angry about something, running out of a toy store… and right into the street. Oh. Merlin. It was like one of those things you see in movies but don't expect to actually happen. There was a speeding ambulance moving straight towards her. He wouldn't be able to stop in time, and the girl wouldn't budge from that spot.

Harry didn't even realize when he dropped all his bags, taking off full speed in a run to save the girl.

The pain was the furthest thing from his mind when he made the dive.

Then, his world erupted.

_SO close_, Harry thought desperately. But he didn't make it.

He blacked out, and knew no more.

Reviews anyone?


	4. Suspicion

"…an? Young man!"

Harry opened his eyes and startled when he saw two eyes directly in his line of vision.

"You took quite a hit there." Suddenly Harry remembers what happened. The girl!

"Where's the girl?" He asked.

A bright smiling face suddenly came to his vision. Before he knew it the girl's arms were extended around him in a hug. He stiffened at the touch. Even without his injuries he wasn't exactly accustomed to the whole hugging thing, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley excluded.

"What happened?", he forced himself to continue.

He was relieved that he had saved the girl, but the pain in his leg was next to unbearable.

"Well, your dive stopped two feet short. Your leg didn't make it through safely, I'm afraid. The car ran right over it, right above your ankle. The pain shouldn't be too bad yet, am I correct?"

Harry nodded, then gulped, laying his head back down. His leg was more numb then anything, and he was slightly terrified at what he'd be facing the next day. He wouldn't be able to get anything done. After checking his watch, his breath caught when he saw that it was already four thirty.

"Is it broken?" he asked, signaling his leg.

"It's the strangest thing actually. At first look we could have sworn that that there was no doubt it was broken, but now I'm not so sure. A bloody near miracle, that is...", the officer replied, shaking his head.

"The ambulance should be hear soon. They'll patch you right up.", he continued.

No. Harry couldn't go to the hospital. The Dursleys would murder him. Not only that, so will the headmaster, if he gets hold of it. He had to get out of there. But how? Everyone was surrounding him. A lady, the girl's mother most likely, was crying and thanking him repeatedly. He gave her a weak smile and started forming a plan in his head. Would he be able to run with his leg? He forced his leg to move. _Damn that hurt, _he thought. The house was two blocks away.

The lady and her daughter didn't look like they were about to budge. The officer looks like he needs to be somewhere else. The pedestrians were slowly starting to leave. Ok. So he was on the sidewalk where he dropped the bags. If he timed it right, he would run across the street right before the light turned green. It just changed to red. Should he run? This guy looks like he ate more then anything, maybe he could make it. Before he could change his mind, Harry ran, grabbing the bags of food he had bought before the incident. The officer seemed too surprised to move at first, and that was all the time Harry needed. The light changed and he ran into someone's backyard.

After waiting for like ten minutes, he made his way back to the street and stuck to corners till he made it to the front door. Opening it, he fell to the ground. After what seemed like ages, he looked down to see blood staining the floor. He was so dead, and he had done nothing. After getting off as much of the stain as he could, he limped up the stairs, grabbed some bandages, and went into the room. After cleaning himself up he didn't look nearly as bad.

Looking at the chores list, he said, "How the hell am I supposed to finish this now?" He was dead. So so dead.

If people came looking for him, if they saw the blood stain, if they saw he didn't finish his chores. He was dead. He decided to rush through everything and improve on it if he had time. He started by repainting the fence and decided to do the second coat after he'd done most of the other chores. He was so screwed. Nowhere to go. Nothing to be done about it.

88888888

"Severus," Dumbledore said, damned twinkle in his eye. Snape looked up sharply as he heard his name.

He sighed inwardly and wearily replied, "Albus?"

"Would you check on Mr. Potter for me today? There has been strange talk of a boy that somewhat fit's the description of young Harry."

Before the protests could come, Dumbledore continued.

"Everyone else is off doing things for the Order."

As Severus opened his mouth to respond, Dumbledore went on, "I know, but your potions can wait, and no, the Weasley twins cannot go. I need someone for the rest of the week also. No, you do not have to look over him everyday. But today… you do."

Snape huffed. Dumbledore had eliminated nearly every possible excuse in just a few seconds. Snape stalked off without replying. He knew that Dumbledore knew he would do it. He left, grumbling about spoilt teens and manipulative old men. Snape, now rather familiar with Privet Drive, walked straight down to Number Four, currently residing Harry Potter. Better known as the Savior of the Wizarding World, or the Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Die. This time, he went straight to the back, predicting that the teen would be there. He was right. He took his place by the overly large bush some distance away.

A look at the boy's face brought back the memory of that strange bruise. This time, it was a welt. Something he knew about all too well. He could see it clearly enough. The boy was limping too…badly… and it seemed like he was in great pain. He could have simply been in a fight but… no….

Would someone really dare to abuse the Boy-Who-Lived?

Snape smirked at the thought of someone like Molly Weasley or Poppy Pomfrey in his position; going into over-protective mode would cause them to already be there, interrogating the boy and feeling murderous. They would probably kill first and ask questions later. Little did he know that the son of his enemy had thought the exact same thing.

It really can't be, though. Not Potter. But the signs. There has to be some other explanation. I'm just being paranoid, he thought. Where were the boy's guardians anyway? Hmph. Just left him while they went out, surely. Well… that eliminates some of the things the boy has in common with his idiot father. James was always the spoilt brat, at school and at home. His son only seems to be spoilt at school and… not spoilt at home… Wouldn't want to jump to conclusions.

The boy also looked thinner, if that was possible. And he was pale. He also seemed deep into his thoughts. Then Snape saw the paper in Potter's hands. He moved slightly closer and saw that it was a list of chores, a rather long list of chores. Of course, Potter was rushing through them, probably eager to go mess around. From the looks of it, however, the boy would be lucky to finish before nightfall.

He used an invisibility charm on himself and got comfortable under a tree. He saw Potter looking around, as though looking for something… or someone… He ignored this though as Potter went back to work. A little while later, Snape dozed off. When he awoke, Snape silently thanked his ability to keep quiet either asleep or awake because Potter was still out there. From the looks of it, he had worked right through the time Snape was asleep; he looked dead tired as he re-painted the fence.

Harry shocked Snape by repeating the chore, and doing it properly at that. Then Snape realized that it was getting late, and Potter still hadn't eaten anything.

He probably went in when I was sleeping, Snape thought.

Thinking his job was done for the day, he portkeyed back to headquarters.

88888888

After finishing the fence, Harry decided to go wash the windows, just a quick pass this time; later on, he'd clean them properly.

It was then that Harry felt something. Something like a wave of magic.

He looked around, trying to find the source of it, but he saw nothing, so he went back to work. After doing the outside chores, he went inside and did all the household chores quickly. When he came back out, a quick look at the fence told him it was time for the second coat. When he'd finished, he re-did about half of the chores before the Dursleys came back.

Vernon said nothing about the results, which meant there was nothing to say about them. Harry was beyond glad for that. Getting beaten up again so soon was not on his list of things to do, unlike everything else. After eating, Harry went to sleep, too exhausted for anything else, but glad that he had been there to save the girl.

88888888

For weeks the abuse continued, though it seemed like years in Harry's eyes. His uncle's treatment towards him was as bad as ever, and with each passing day, Harry seemed more resigned to his fate, if only slightly. Harry woke late one morning and realized that the Dursleys must have gone out again. He turned to his window to see Pig patiently tapping through the bars. When he finally got the letter from the owl, he wasn't surprised to see that it was from Ron. He waved off the owl and opened it.

_Hey Harry!_

_What's up? Hope the Dursleys are treating you well. Mione's staying with me for the rest of the summer, by the way, while her parents are in America. She says hi. We're trying to convince Headmaster Dumbledore to send you here for at least the last two weeks. Did you get your O.W.L. results yet? Mione's nervous as anything. I don't know why. We all know she's going to do well. She's still working on that SPEW thing too. It's really annoying. My dad is trying to get the three of us tickets to a Chudley Cannons game, so looking forward to that! Well, my mum's calling me…. see you soon, mate!_

_Ron_

Harry did nothing after reading the letter. He was set in a flashback to one of his recent nightmares, the one in which his godfather had came for revenge. He put it down and turned away, deciding not to reply. _I can't risk the few people I care about by keeping them close. They're better off without me anyways_, thought Harry. Then he actually smirked. Maybe the extra time will finally get those two together! Plus, he didn't want to be a third wheel.  
He took his time making his way downstairs. Much more relaxed at the fact that the Dursley's weren't home. For once, he felt rather full, but the pain he was feeling ruined it. Lying on the table was the same note and a list of chores twice as long as last time. Hmph. _Of course Uncle Vernon would make sure I can't finish my chores_, he thought. A knot formed in his stomach at the thought. He hated to admit it, but he was nervous. He'd rather live through the summer and resolved that he would keep the beatings to a minimum.

Harry felt anxious about finishing the chores and jumped when the floor creaked on his way to the backyard. He started to work quickly but accurately. It was several hours later when the Dursleys got home, and Harry was only half way through list even though he had worked relentlessly. _I swear they mess up everything just to give me more work to do_, he thought. He was still working when Vernon came out. Vernon grabbed Harry by his hair and dragged him inside.

"I told you to have them finished!" He yelled at the boy.

Harry snapped back, "You give me too many damn chores! You want me to not finish them, so you can use me as your fricken human punching bag!"

Harry instantly regretted his words. Things could only get worse now. Vernon turned a dark shade of purple.

"DO NOT address me with that tone, boy! And it's "sir" to you!" He backhanded Harry on the same side as always. "Got it?"

Resigned, Harry murmured, "yes, sir."

Vernon slammed open the cupboard door, now filled with cleaning supplies and cobwebs, and was about to kick Harry into it, when something on the telly caught his attention. You could see his face turning an even darker shade of red as he turned to his despised nephew.

"How. do. you. explain. THAT? What the ruddy hell were you doing out of the house boy!"

He was pointing to a picture of Harry on the ground, that they were broadcasting on the news. You could only tell it was him from his scar. The grip on Harry's hair became tight to the point where Vernon was ripping it from the boy's scalp.

"Do you know how much trouble you've caused us?", he yelled.

Stuffing Harry into the cupboard, he yelled angrily for his wife and stomped at the stairs, debris falling onto Harry all the while. When silence finally fell, the only question on Harry's mind was… why would they broadcast this now? It had happened weeks ago.

He listened carefully in attempt of hearing the telly. "award for saving...had attempted…search….no one….is boy before. Fleeing… authorities… records. Nothing has been…" The volume was too low to really hear, but from what he picked up they were looking for him.

That wasn't good. He hadn't done anything! Why not just leave him be? With a sigh Harry closed his eyes.

He was left there, cramped, until the next morning.

Review please!


	5. Not so fast

Harry woke up when he heard a loud knock right by his ear and felt it vibrate off of his head. He was scrunched up in the cupboard. Having slept on the hard floor, he was stiff and very uncomfortable. He barely managed to crawl out of the cupboard and straighten himself. He couldn't lift his arms, which made cooking breakfast extremely difficult. He decided to finally put the idea of a big breakfast to use, as he had no food the day before and was unable to go up to the room and get something.

Perhaps not so surprisingly, Vernon seemed pleased at the amount of food Harry cooked; together the Dursleys ate most of it. With each bite, Harry's hope of eating dropped. Just when it seemed that Vernon would eat all the extra food, he stopped. He looked kind of green, as though had for once reached his limit. Vernon raised his hand to wipe his mouth, and Petunia cringed at his table manners.

Harry couldn't help but flinch and move back, as though afraid that Vernon was going to hit him. He paid the boy no attention; simply handing him the list of chores and leaving. Harry stared longingly at the food and was surprised when his aunt actually gave him some. He stifled his shock and thanked his aunt before taking it outside to eat. He made the food last by working and then eating a little, alternating through the day or doing both at once.

After three hours or so, Harry realized that the work was somehow going more easily, burning less energy. _Probably because I actually got to eat well today… compared to other days, anyways, _he thought. He finished the chores quickly, and any nervousness he'd had about them vanished. He wasn't as tired as he usually was after finishing, and it was only 6:30. Well, the day had been uneventful enough. Now he had plenty of time to do nothing for once. His uncle was probably out while his Aunt was hidden somewhere in the house.

He was able to think clearly then and suddenly remembered all the homework he'd left untouched. Not like it was his fault; he didn't want to risk having any of his "freakish stuff" out. _I'll just do it on the train ride. I doubt that will get me a passing mark, but it's better then nothing_, he thought.

Maybe if Ron can convince Dumbledore to get me over there for the last two weeks, I could do it at the Burrow. I'd rather fail, though, if going there means putting them in danger. The Weasleys are the closest thing to a family I've got, he thought sadly.  
Then he began to think about his last two years at Hogwarts and his life afterwards. _If I even live to see it… _

After looking through the window for what seemed like hours, Harry finally fell asleep. No sooner did he slip into sleep did his mind become invaded by nightmares once again on his friends, parents, and his godfather. Sleeping on his stomach and the lack of fidgeting thankfully caused Harry's muttering to be muffled by the pillows.

88888888

Severus Snape was, for the third time, making his way down private drive to keep an eye on Potter. He had to track down and place a memory charm on all those muggles because dunderhead Potter decided to go on a little escapade and now they had wanted to search for the boy. What he had done? Severus had no idea. Not that he cared.

Severus couldn't help but feel anxious at the possibilities his last visit had opened.

He decided to put on the invisibility charm before reaching the house, deeming it too risky to wait. Potter might feel the strong magic again. As he once again made his way to the backyard, he was, for some reason, hoping to see that Potter's condition had not worsened.

He gave up hope, though, when he saw Potter even more tired and marked then before. He had some food on the bench, and the boy looked as though he was trying to make it last the whole day. _He probably is, _Snape thought. The boy seemed to become thinner daily. For the first time, Severus noticed that there were handprints on Potter's neck, too. That's it, Severus thought, I am 99 percent sure that what I think is happening is actually happening. I need someone like Lupin or Dumbledore to see this. If I tell them, they'll think that I feel some sort of concern for the boy.

But I cannot let this continue. What would people say if they learned that their boy hero died at the hands of his Muggle uncle? What would they say if they found that I knew? I just need the right proof. How could those dunderheads not have noticed this? It must be stopped! Severus shuddered as he recalled a few memories of his own.

Taking a closer look, Severus saw that Potter's the list of chores had nearly doubled from the last time he was there.

Wanting to prevent Potter from coming to more harm, he magically enabled the implements to do most of the work so that Potter might finish them more quickly. He also improved upon the chores the boy had already finished. Hoping the boy would be okay, Severus portkeyed back to headquarters. He had plenty of time there to beat himself up there for helping a Potter and for being so wrong about him in the first place.

88888888

Harry was already awake when his aunt called for him the next morning. The nightmares had allowed him no more than two hours of sleep. His head was swimming, and he felt a headache coming on, but he knew it could've been worse. Despite the dizziness and pain, he felt energized. Well, more so then usual. He went through his normal routine and soon found himself outside cleaning out the shed, a piece of bread Aunt Petunia had given him in hand.

Reaching up for a heavy bag of cement, several things happened simultaneously. He lost grip of the bag, and it landed on his shoulder. The impact made him fall back onto the handle of the lawn mower, which flipped over and landed flat on his arm. He heard a sickening crack, and the blades made several cuts on his arm. Harry couldn't manage to bite back a cry of pain when this happened. The shed door slammed opened, causing the old door to break away from one of its hinges. "Well, so much for the good day I was having," Harry mumbled to himself.  
The crash had angered his uncle greatly, huge surprise there! He pulled Harry up by scruff of his neck, then grabbed his damaged arm by the wrist. Harry again let out a yelp of pain. Vernon squeezed Harry's arm even tighter then, to the point at which the pain was unbearable. He kicked the boy to the floor, let fly an endless string of insults, told him that he was wasting time, and demanded that Harry clean up everything before he came back out.

After his uncle's brusque departure, Harry tenderly checked over his arm. He was willing to bet that his wrist was broken and silently wondered how he was suppose to finish the chores with a broken wrist… he barely managed to finish them in the first place! _How the hell am I gonna get that bag over to the other side of the shed? _He tried kicking it, but it barely budged, only hurt his already sore leg. There is no way it healed properly, it still ached way too much for that.

He decided to lift it on top of the lawn mower and roll it there. Before he could change his mind, he lifted the bag and dropped it onto the mower, causing a bolt of pain to shoot through his arm. Harry tried his best to ignore it and continued to sort out the shed. He left fixing the door for last, as it would definitely require two hands.

When he finally finished the shed, he left to start his other chores. An hour later, he saw clearly that he wasn't where he needed to be on the list. Not even close really. Looks like his Uncle is in need of his punching bag once again. _That man needs anger management classes for a couple of years! _Harry shook his head and picked up his pace.  
Unbeknownst to him, Vernon Dursley was already making his way outside, ready to pounce on his nephew for "slacking off," when a root circled his leg, causing him to trip. He ended up rolling clockwise and would have rolled into the fence if not for the root so firmly attached to his leg. Vernon was blinded with anger as he lashed out for the root.

Finally untangling it, he continued towards his nephew, who was now aware of his uncle's presence. When Vernon finally reached his goal, he grabbed the boy and held him so tightly by the neck that he was choking him, yet he didn't let up one bit. _Damnit! Why couldn't he just leave me alone? The only time he actually bothers to notice my existence is when he wants to beat me to pulp._  
"You don't finish your chores, and then you use those freak tricks to try and hurt me, eh? Well it didn't work! You're in trouble now, boy. You've done magic. They'll expel you from that school of yours, and we'll have to deal with you all year. You barely started your chores and probably broke the lawn mower…and you tried to kill me! I wont have it! You're dead. Don't say I didn't warn you"

During this tirade, Vernon had dragged the boy into the house. Harry was positive his uncle would have yelled even louder if it weren't for his concern that other people would be able to hear. Harry felt sick. He had no doubt that, if he were expelled, his uncle would make his life worse then the living hell it already was. But he hadn't even done magic. What had happened? He wasn't that blind that he would miss a root like that, and how had it encircled his Uncle's leg so firmly?

Once inside, Vernon threw Harry against the table and continued to kick and punch him. Harry felt slight relief at the fact that his uncle wasn't wearing that dreaded belt_. If he goes to get it, I might be able to run. Living on the streets is better then this. I'm sure that living on the streets of Muggle London would be the last place Voldemort would expect to find Dumbledore's golden boy,_ Harry silently thought.

What happened next shocked Harry. His uncle pulled away the belt that was keeping Dudley's old trousers up on him and held it back. Harry closed his eyes and braced himself, as there was no escape. He would die at his Uncle's hands. There was no one there to stop him. But the blows never came.

Review!!!


	6. Savior

Albus Dumbledore was heading off to the Potions laboratory early Thursday morning, where his Potions master was obviously expecting him. Strangely enough, Severus Snape had barely argued when the Headmaster asked him to check on Harry this time. The glint in the Dumbledore's eyes was bright as ever.

Though he'd rather die then admit it, Snape secretly wanted to see how the boy was doing since the day before's encounter. After catching sight of the Dursley residence, he stopped, certain that Potter wouldn't be out at such early time of day. Nevertheless, after casting the customary invisibility charm, he took his place by the tree. By the sounds of it, the family was eating breakfast. The sudden sounds of a shrill voice caused him to flinch at the high note, and said voice was yelling something that he was unable to make out. A few minutes later, a more hoarse voice cried gave a pig-like grunt before grumbling something about slacking." Snape didn't know what to think.

A few seconds later, Potter came out, a bare slice of bread in hand. _Probably his breakfast_. The child looked all right, at least no worse then the day before. His limp would be unnoticed by the untrained eye. Snape scrutinized the boy carefully as he made his way towards the shed. Snape was just about to rest his eyes when a loud crash drove the thought out of mind. Then there was a whimper of pain, no doubt from Harry.

He saw Vernon Dursley make a beeline for the shed; and he allowed the oversized Muggle to reach it only because he wanted to make sure the boy was in one piece without having to open the door himself.  
When he saw Dursley rip the door off one of its hinges and started to throttle the boy, Snape had second thoughts concerning the wisdom of his idea. He did not wish to blow his cover unless it was absolutely necessary, though. When the man brutally clutched Harry's wrist, fully aware that it was broken, Snape knew it was all the proof he needed. The Dursleys were, dare he say it, _abusing_ Potter. This could not go on any longer.

Snape was about to make his leave when he realized that it was too early. But, he couldn't do anything for Potter either, for many reasons. Mainly, he had been forbidden to interfere or cause a scene with the muggles. Also, he didn't want Potter to think he _cared_, or something, and then go crying to him with all his little problems when they returned to Hogwarts. Snape shuddered at the thought of James Potter's son coming to him for help, and then smirked at the thought of Potter Sr.'s look of horror were he to know.

Snape reasoned that if Potter really did have problems, then he would be one of the few who could actually be of help to the boy. He'd certainly dealt with the same problem with many of his Slytherins. And there was his personal experience too of course. He snapped back into reality just in time to hear Dursley order Potter to be finished by the time the oaf came back. The obnoxious man would probably give the boy no more then an hour. When Potter finally came out of the shed, Snape could see that he was rushing. No sooner did he exit the shed, did his uncle approached, his stubby legs moving much too quickly in ratio to his pace.

Not thinking rationally, Snape made one of the neatly cut blades of grass morph into a long weed that wrapped itself around the man's foot, causing him to fall onto his belly and roll clockwise. After realizing the enormity of this action, Snape froze. He had thought it impossible, but Dursley grew angrier, his repulsive face turning a disgusting shade of purple. He blindly swiped at the weed, since he couldn't seem to see over his fat. Snape nearly laughed at how ridiculous the man looked, almost.

Once freed, the man squabbled even faster towards Potter. Snape was at loss, gazing on helplessly and with growing frustration.

Dursley continued to berate Potter while dragging him to the house.

"Useless waste of space, should've died with your bloody mother you should have..."

Snape saw red, his fists curled tightly into themselves, his nails nearly puncturing his skin. It was all he could do not to barge in and say quite of few words of his own... it was not a minute when he gave in and walked to the door with this silent, dangerous, grace.

He looked in discretely to see the halfwit lump kicking and punching the poor boy. _Poor boy_? This was the arrogant Potter he was talking about! On another note, how did he manage to hide such abuse? I never would have seen it, with such a pompous attitude the boy always took. Of course, I was too busy keeping him from making so much trouble, to notice anything such as this. At least that's what Snape told himself. He then noticed Potter glance up at his uncle with… relief? There was little… but it was there; and it confused the Potions master to no end.

The grip he held on the door was deathly, his knuckles were white with pressure. Only his years of training kept him from outwardly flinched at every lick, at each gruesome crunch that sounded. Dursley stopped after what seemed like ages, but then he reached to grab the boy… wait no… for Potter's belt.

Something moved inside him as he took in the horror of the boy's expression. Potter's oversized trousers, probably not his to begin with, fell immediately. Only when the boy braced himself in acceptance did Snape lose what control he had. Not even thinking to use his wand, he went for the muggle. Swiftly grabbing the hand in which the bastard held the belt.

Vernon was confused, and more than a bit unsettled, by the fact that his arm was stuck in mid-air. That same second, Potter attempted to make a run for it, but his uncle grabbed at his wrist, the broken one, before he was able reach the door. Dursley fruitlessly attempted to move his arm, all the while kicking the boy. Again, Snape reacted immediately, throwing the man onto the floor. The muggle fell with a plop. Vernon may have been the (much) larger man, but Snape was taller and unquestionably stronger.

By now, Vernon was terrified, and Harry was whimpering pitifully, not even bothering to attempt an escape again.

From the sounds of it, he may have gotten a few broken ribs at least. Harry seemed to be withdrawing into himself. Dursley fainted, probably from both fright and over-exertion of his flab... After binding him and making sure that no one else was in the house, Snape, still under the invisibility charm, went to examine Potter. He was in a bad way and his form lacked the usual Potter arrogance... unless it were a façade, which Snape would very well accept at this point.

"Potter!" Snape called harshly; possibly a little too harsh, as the only result was the scrawny thing curling into himself even more.

Accepting his cover was blown, Snape lifted the invisibility charm.

"Pot… Harry, it's Professor Snape!" This tactic did seem to help pull the boy back into reality.

"Come on, up you get. We must leave."

Potter cautiously opened his eyes and looked up, terrified, no doubt due to the fact that his git of a Potions master was his apparent savior. "Where are your things?" Severus asked coldly, though without his usual malice.

His facial expression gave away nothing as Potter awkwardly pointed to a door under the stairs. Severus made his way to the door, grimacing as he ducked down to enter it. He grabbed the trunk and owl there. The owl looked rather sickly and the trunk had dozens of Muggle locks on it. No wonder his homework is always so terrible. Severus was about to exit when something caught his eye. A small piece of paper was attached to the wall in the far corner, reading "Harry's Room" in very messy writing.

For some reason unknown to him, he folded up the paper and placed it in his pocket for future reference. Turning around, he saw Potter sitting on the stairs, braced against the wall, looking at him.

"I have some stuff upstairs that I need to get."

"Where?" Snape asked.

"Err… I can get it myself," said Potter.

Snape felt the urge to strangle the boy for being so stubborn, and would have if not for the circumstances. Snape's glare pointedly said that the boy could barely walk.

Snape loomed over the boy in an effort to prove his point, but felt like he'd been punched when Potter actually flinched away and raised his good arm over his face in defence. Remaining impassive, he agreed to let the boy get his things himself. Potter came down a few minutes later, a pillowcase full of who knows what in hand. Severus resisted the urge to hurry him along, and shrunk Potter's trunk before he made walked out to the backyard.

After making sure the boy was following him, Snape went around to the side of the house, decided that the Hogwarts hospital wing was the best destination, and pulled out a portkey that would lead straight there.

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Harry cautiously opened his eyes... to see his uncle's arm stuck in mid-air. Believing it was the result of his own accidental magic, he decided to try and make a run for it. His uncle pulled him back almost immediately, and his wrist throbbed with pain, which was the least of his worries as his uncle proceeded to kick him. Harry was unable to hold back a painful moan of protest, as any remaining pride took flight. He retreated to that dark place in the back of his mind, slowly becoming oblivious to what was happening.

He heard a sharp voice yell out his name and tried retreating even further. He heard the voice again, only this time he knew it couldn't have been his uncle. The voice had called him by his first name, something his uncle would never do.

Beginning to think a little more clearly, Harry realized that this person had saved him from his uncle's rage. Harry cautiously opened his eyes. When he realized who was in front of him, witnessing his cowardice, he adopted a tense stance, a look of horror etched on his face. In front of him was his greasy git of a Potions master, the man who'd made Harry's only refuge a nightmare at any chance he could.

"Where are your things?" Snape asked him, though without his usual venom.

_Great. I have the bastard's pity now. _

Harry clumsily pointed to the cupboard under the stairs. Once Snape had gone, Harry started thinking. He reasoned that Snape had saved him; no one else seemed to be there. For that, he was grateful. Then he realized that Snape now knew his biggest secret. He could imagine the ridicule Snape would level at him. He'd probably tell all of his precious Slytherins.

One thing was clear. This summer was not, and will not be, an easy one. He painfully got up and passed Snape, sitting on the stairs as he remembered all the things he had hidden upstairs. He nervously mentioned it to Snape and nearly panicked when Snape began to loom over him with that sneer on his face.

Try as he might, Harry was still unable to not flinch back and he lifted his arm to protect his face, tensing his body waiting to be hit.

The gesture was too much like Uncle Vernon's to avoid reacting as he did. He looked back at Snape, face burning in embarrassment, and noticed that Snape had paid no heed to his reaction. After Snape allowed him to gather his things, Harry wasn't sure if he should be angry with the man or not. Yes, he saved him, but he didn't have to be such an arse. He was probably happy to see the arrogant Boy-Who-Lived being pummeled by his Muggle uncle.

But then, why had Snape stopped him? And why hadn't he said a single thing other than to find out where Harry's things were? Harry felt angry and confused, which made him want to kick something. Hard. Harry carefully made his way back downstairs and followed Snape to the side of the house. Right after Snape took out the empty potions vial, Harry realized what it was. A portkey.

His thoughts flew back to that night in the graveyard, when Voldemort had made his return. He started to shake his head violently all while muttering no over and over again. He snapped back to reality when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Harry move back as quickly as he could, until he tripped on a twig. Dazed, Harry panicked as he realized that Snape might not even be there to save him.

What if the portkey took him straight to Voldemort? He wouldn't be able to defeat him, not in his present condition. And if he died, then so would many others. All because of him. He was shaking, panicking now. He hadn't the slightest idea what to do.

Snape was confused. As soon as Potter saw the vial, he started to shake his head. Then he remembered the occurrences of the third task at the Triwizard Tournanment during Potter's fourth year. A portkey had taken Potter to the Dark Lord. Looking back, he saw that the boy was terrified. "Potter!" No results.

Snape walked toward him, planning to shake the boy back into reality, but as soon as he touched Potter's shoulders, the boy panicked. Potter continuously moved backward until he tripped on a twig. Snape sighed in frustration and walked to him again. He slipped a calming draught from his robes and forced the boy to drink. Potter calmed down considerably, but still refused to touch the portkey.

"Pot… Harry, this portkey was made by Albus Dumbledore himself. I can assure you that the Dark Lord has not tampered with it in any way," Snape said, in what he hoped, but somewhat doubted, was a calming voice.

The boy was looking at him now. Snape could see the mistrust in his eyes. He felt like banging his head against the wall in frustration, but instead, he told Potter to get out his invisibility cloak, which he did, slowly. Snape re-cast the invisibility charm on himself, and the two made their way over to Mrs. Figg's house.

Looking through the window, Snape stunned the woman, unwilling to explain himself to Arabella Figg, and the spell would wear off shortly anyhow.

He ushered Potter into Mrs. Figg's fireplace and told him to call out 'Hogwarts Hospital Wing'. Potter's responding silence only seemed to goad Severus's temper.

"Pro… Professor Snape, do we have to go there?", Harry asked nervously, remembering his manners in attempt to placate the man.

Snape could see the pleading look in the boy's eyes, but he was in no mood to be generous. When he reached to coax the boy into the fireplace again, Potter moved quickly away, boldly starting to speak again.

"Don't!…" He swallowed noticeably.

"They...they don't need to know. I… You… Can't you just leave me here?"

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	7. Discoveries

Of course, Harry would never want to stay at the Dursley's, but he didn't want to cause so much trouble and have everyone know that their hero was a weak coward. They were bound to find out from Snape anyway, but that was different somehow. It took a minute for the sentence to actually register with Snape. The boy wanted to stay there? Was he mad? Not knowing how to respond, Snape settled for glaring at the boy, which caused him to cringe again.

"The Headmaster would not be pleased if he found out that I knew what was happening and left you there," Snape said, deciding it was the best way to go.

"But Professor Dumbledore would never know that you knew. I wouldn't tell, I swear! He knows most of what happens anyway. He was here two days ago. Professor, please. I… Please."

Snape had always wanted to see the day when Potter would actually have to beg to get something he wanted. Now that it was here, he didn't like it, and that confused him to no end.

"Move Potter."

"No! I'll… run... I'll run if you take me there!" Harry said.

Snape just raised his eyebrows at this.

"Snape… sir… please… not there, then. Anywhere but there!"

"Why in the world would you _want _to stay with those people Potter?" Snape asked, exasperated.

"I..I'm not worth all the trouble it would cause. It's safer for everyone else if I just stay here."

Snape noticed that the boy had said safer for others and not himself.

"Well it will do them no good if you end up…. disabled."

Severus could feel a headache coming on as he held the bridge of his nose. He was close to just stunning the brat and portkeying away. But after looking up at the boy's pleading eyes, something in him broke.

He felt like murdering himself for feeling bad for the Boy-Who-Lived. Before he could change his mind, he told the boy to say, 'Potions classroom 6572' He then looked sharply at the boy, daring him to protest so he could change his mind. But Potter said nothing, probably realizing that was the best offer he could get.

Once both were in the Potions classroom, Snape contemplated his next move. He ordered Potter to sit in a chair by his desk and chanted a spell Madam Pomfrey had used on him to assess the damage after a session with the Dark Lord.

Potter had four broken ribs, one of which was healing wrong. It would have to be re-broken. He'd also broken a wrist and sprained an ankle. His leg had been broken but was healing nicely. He had bruises and welts all over his body, a few of which were infected. He was clearly malnourished and, after looking at the boy's face, he saw exhaustion there as well. Apparently the boy had an amazingly high tolerance for pain, not unlike the potions master.

Maintaining his usual mask of indifference, Snape made his way to his stores to get the necessary potions. Inside, he was seething. Anyone who could do that to a child was a right bastard. When he'd done all he could for the moment, he told Potter that he was going to go inform the Headmaster, and the trouble started all over again.

"No! You said-" Harry was interrupted.

"I said nothing, and unless you want to be up in the hospital wing, I suggest you keep your mouth shut and not move. I shall know if you do."

He looked closely at Potter, remembering the boy's threat to run. He left the dungeons muttering a few charms that would alert him should Potter leave that room. He cast others to prevent the boy from leaving the dungeons unless he was in danger.

Snape used the time walking up to the Headmaster's office to reflect on all that had had happened. It seemed like such a short time for it all. He wasn't sure that the Headmaster would be happy with him for removing Potter from the house….wait. Of course he will be! He wouldn't leave his Golden Boy to be abused there… right? Then he remembered Potter's words.

Did Albus Dumbledore, his mentor, the one that helped him through something resembling Potter's current trials, truly know what went on in that household? Of course not! he immediately thought. But he wasn't sure what to think. Then there was the fact that that this arrogant-well, suppose to be arrogant-brat was abused.

How long had this been going on? How had he managed to hide it? Was that the reason everyone seemed to spoil him rotten? Was it his own stubbornness that made Severus see the arrogant, bratty son of James Potter rather than a nervous, abused boy? And why wouldn't Potter wish to tell anyone? The damn boy would rather stay at his uncle's! It could be because the boy thought he deserved it, but this is POTTER we're talking about. Why would he feel like that?

The boy should feel as though the world owed him... as his father would've felt. But grudgingly, Snape started to realize the Pot… Harry was not his father.

He was in no way even considering to be sorry for the way he treated Potter though. It was the boy's own fault for that. Or was it? For the millionth time that day, Snape felt a headache coming on. Then he realized he was in front of the Headmaster's office.

How long had he been there? Knowing that it didn't matter, he told the gargoyle the password and waited as the moving stairs made its way up to the office.

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Harry was nervous. He had no idea what to expect. The day had passed too quickly, and yet it seemed to be going on forever. He was glad that Snape had given him potions for the pain before he left. It allowed Harry to think more clearly and relax. It was short-lived though, as panic started to override him. Merlin! He was sitting in the Potions classroom in the middle of the summer with no one around. And he was expected to stay here while Snape went to tell the Headmaster who-knows-what!

Half of what he says will probably be a lie anyway, Harry thought. His mind refused to allow him to believe that, though. Even though Snape had seen him as a spoiled brat, he'd never actually straight out lied. He might be a git and ignore what was right under his big nose, but… Harry put his head in his hands and tried to calm down. He had no idea what to do. Things were going too fast. He stayed in that position even when he heard footsteps entering the room and locking the door behind them.

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Opening the door, Severus saw the Headmaster sitting behind his desk, observing one of the countless small objects in his office.

"Ah, Severus! Back I see. No problems I hope?" Dumbledore asked without even looking up from his fiddling.

"Your hopes are in vain, Headmaster," Snape answered.

This statement caught the headmaster's attention somewhat.

"What could be the problem?"

Not knowing which approach would cause problems, Snape asked, "Albus, have you, by any chance, ever observed Potter during his summers with his relatives?"

"It seems obvious that they're not the most loving family, but they suffice when it comes to the protection the blood bonds provide for Harry. In fact, I was there a few days ago, discussing headquarters with Mr. Potter," Dumbledore replied.

"Have you ever thought that they made be harming Potter?" asked Snape, slightly anxiously.

Dumbledore examined his wand carefully. "Is there something you need to tell me, Severus?"

Snape nodded. "I'm afraid that Potter has been dealt quite an ordeal of... abuse... from his dear relatives."

Dumbledore continued to observe Snape.

"I see. I assume you took him out of there?"

Snape stared at him as though he had grown another head.

"Of course. I had to, headmaster! You didn't expect to me just leave the boy there? Surely you do not think so little of me!"

"Of course not, my boy. Of course not." Albus said, shaking his head sadly as he reminisced for a bit.

"Was he taken him to Poppy? What is his condition? Is he alright?", Dumbledore suddenly quizzed. It seemed as though the significance of the situation had just hit the Headmaster when he began to bombard Snape with questions.

In answer, Snape asked Dumbledore to follow him down to his office. It was then that Snape realized the boy hadn't moved from the place where he'd left him.

Closing the door to the classroom, he followed the headmaster over to where Potter still sat, head in hands. Albus inspected the boy closely, as he did Severus, before speaking. He stood there, slightly uneasy for once, as he addressed Potter.

"Harry…..are you alright?" seemed to be the only thing he managed to say.

Potter, finally looking up, quickly said that he was fine, possibly a little too fast, as his answer seemed somewhat rehearsed. It was clear to any dunderhead that the boy was not fine. He still looked sickly while trying in vain to put up a bold face.

The headmaster sighed at this. Looking much more his age then normally, his forehead etched with worry lines and the glint in his eyes considerably dimmed. The headmaster conjured a chair next to Potter while Severus braced against the wall by the door. As Albus reached to grasp the boy's shoulder though, he shot up and backed away. Severus was sure that the headmaster was more hurt by this reaction then he let on.

"Harry, my boy. I'm sorry I've left you with those people. I should have realized that it was something more then a slight resentment."

The headmaster shook his head at this and swallowed noticeably.

"I would have never allowed them to do this, had I known. You do know that?" Harry nodded, still looking at the floor.

Severus could see right there that the boy hadn't known that. He thought he was being left there purposely. A knot continued to form in his stomach as his former beliefs on Potter were crushed one by one. Speaking freely for the first time, the boy started.

"It's ok professor. Really, I'm fine. If I could just lie down for a moment."

Severus saw this as an attempt to escape the awkwardness of the situation, but had no doubt the boy was tired. The day was rather overwhelming… for both of them.

Albus simply nodded, allowing the subject to drop for the moment.

"As the only people here at the moment are me, Professor Snape, Madam Pomfrey, and Argus Filch, I think it would be best for you to reside in rooms right here in the dungeons. You've already expressed your wish to not involve the medi-witch and I will be leaving on order business late tomorrow. I assume you would prefer the Professor to our caretaker?"

The sparkle returned slightly to the headmaster's eyes at the look of horror that flashed across the boy's face at the mere thought of being left alone with Filch.

Severus himself barely repressed a shudder at the thought. The headmaster gave Potter a room right next to Severus', but of course, the boy didn't know that…yet.

Professor Dumbledore was about to take Potter to his rooms when the potions master saw the pillowcase clutched tightly in the boy's hand. He wordlessly handed the still shrunk trunk over to the headmaster before they left. Shortly after Harry had resided to his room, the headmaster followed Severus to his own.

Once seated, Severus, realizing what the headmaster would wish to talk to him about, prepared himself for an argument, but later decided against it since he never won anyway, and his mentor had never led him astray before.

"Severus…I'm sure Harry has been through a lot, considering what you've told me. It might be too much for him to handle on his own…."

The potions master opened his mouth, then promptly shut it, only to open it again.

"I completely agree with you Albus. You have helped me more then I would ever be able to repay you for. I am sure that I will be able to handle things on my own while you tend to Mr. Potter. With that aside, has there been any major news on Lupin's progress with the wolves?"

Ignoring Severus' blatant attempt to change the subject, the headmaster continued.

"Severus, I am sure you understood where I was going with this." He gave the professor a pointed look.

"Albus, I've already done my part. It's thanks to me he's no longer with those people. Don't think that this will change anything between us. He's still the impertinent brat he's always been, with no regard for rules whatsoever.", Severus protested.

"Although that may be true to an extent, do not forget what led you to believing what a spoiled prince he was. Your views weren't exactly accurate and you know this. You might not even bother to look into this, but you two are more alike then you assume. Remember when I first started assisting you?"

The headmaster knew that he was getting to him. Unwilling to accept all that was said, Snape retorted, famous sneer in place.

"Fine! What do you want me to do? Fawn over him and tend to his every need like everyone else? Maybe bow to him and address him as my master." Severus sneered.

"You know what you need to do. He's not the boy you thought he was. He needs you."

"Ok Albus, but don't complain when the boy comes running to you throwing a fit because you left him with the evil bat of the dungeons."

With the said, Severus left, having been driven out of his own chambers.

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	8. Mentors

Waking up, Harry immediately knew something was wrong. For one thing, this was NOT his lumpy mattress, or the hard floor of his cupboard. Also, he didn't wake up to his usual aches and pains, horrible nightmares, or his aunt's screeching. Slowly opening his eyes, memories came rushing back to him. He vaguely remembered the headmaster showing him to this room and him collapsing on his bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes.

Looking around the room, he found that it seemed much bigger then the boy's dorm in Gryffindor tower. The bed itself was two times as big as those beds, and the walls were a royal blue color. There was a wardrobe and desk the seemed to be made of dark polished wood. The carpet was a beige color and the bed drapings were a mixture of various shades of blue and beige.

Harry, somewhat liking the homey feeling the room gave off, opened the wardrobe to find his trunk there. He didn't bother unpacking, not knowing how long he was going to be there. He searched through the trunk for his wand. Then he opened the pillowcase he must've dropped by the bed earlier and searched for one of Dudley's better old shirts.

After he finally found one that wasn't too big and only had a few small holes, he grabbed a pair of old, oversized jeans. After putting the case by his trunk, he realized that his only belt was left at the Dursleys.

Even if he had brought it, he didn't think he would even want to wear it again. He would prefer well-fitting trousers to wearing a belt ever again. He would have to ask Professor Dumbledore if he was allowed to do magic whilst there. He then headed off to open the nearest of the two doors, which happened to lead to a bathroom. After taking care of his needs, he went to sit in the chair by the desk, pondering what he was to do.

He couldn't go flying, as he was still soar, and he wouldn't want to be murdered by Snape for hurting himself worse and be sent off to the infirmary. How he truly hated that place. No sooner did he finished that thought did Dobby apparate in with a loud pop, nearly causing Harry to fall back off the chair. Attaching his self to Harry's leg, causing a flinch from said boy, he began.

"Mister Harry Potter sir! How great it is for Dobby to be seeing you! What Mr. Potter is doing here during the summer? Dobby is honored to be helping you on headmaster Dumbledore's orders. What is you be needing? Dobby was sent to ask what Harry Potter is to be wanting for breakfast…"

Harry couldn't help but smile at the house elf's overexcitement. Attempting to stop his babbling, Harry interrupted.

"Hey Dobby! It's great to see you again. You can just send up whatever's been prepared already thanks."

He said all of this while slowly attempting to pry the elf off of his bad leg.

Harry wasn't exactly surprised when the house elf burst into tears, wailing about how Harry was such a great wizard and everything before apparating away. Barely a minute later, the elf was back with the food and began his rant for a good 10 minutes before he was coaxed to go make sure everything was ok with the other elves. After eating, Harry decided to go look at the Marauder's map before leaving the room.

Seeing that what the Headmaster said about the current attendance of the castle was true, he slipped the map into his trunk and left, not noticing the spot of Professor Snape moving briskly away from where his temporary rooms lay. It was soon that Harry realized he was never able to truly explore the castle during school time. Not to mention the fact that he always had to watch his back for Slytherins when down in the dungeons. There were rumors that only a small part of the castle was being used at the moment. Right there he decided that he would take advantage of all the extra time he had by exploring the castle.

Settling to start from the bottom up, he went off to one of the slightly darker parts of the dungeons. Despite the fact that everyone was gone from the castle, Harry couldn't help but be jumpy at even the slightest movement. He felt somewhat like he did entering the chamber of secrets, which was also Slytherin's territory, even though he was the only one able to get into that place. Lost in thought of the chamber where he had found Ginny unconscious, he fell backwards as he walked into a doorknob of a huge door.

Muttering about the ache he now felt in his chest and backside, he moved to open the door. He was surprised as he realized that the door was opened. The torches ignited as he entered the room, lighting a chilled, somewhat damp, chamber. It took his thoughts back to when he ended up flooing to Knockturn alley by accident in his second year. The dark atmosphere was similar. At Knockturn Ally, there were dark items littering the shop. Here there were jars filled with liquid and other….things.. sitting on racks attached to the wall. He could barely make out a few large cauldrons in the back corner.

He stayed well away from the cupboards, knowing that there could be many dangerous things in them, like boggarts. Looking around, he saw various things that reeked of dark magic so strong that he could actually feel it. It seemed to dampen his spirits even more. There was an eerie silence except for something dripping from one of the _recently _used cauldrons. Recently used. That would mean this belonged to someone here or something. Probably professor Snape.

He went rigid as he saw what looked A LOT like a death eater mask on one of the marble tables by the cauldrons. A black cloak partly covered it and there was a half empty vile of something dark green next to them. On another table lay a pensieve. It was dark and worn with age, but a pensieve nevertheless. One might think it was broken, as the silver liquid that normally lay inside was, in this case, a dark shade of grey, with a tinge of blood red and a halo of black.

He silently tried to calm himself. Despite the fact that Snape was a spy for the light, he was still terrified of **that** mask, which was only seen in the worst of times. He was curious, yes. But even he realized that searching through any of those things would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. Any one of them could be a portkey leading straight to Voldemort. Deciding it was definitely time he left the freaky place he retreated slowly out of the room… until he backed up against something. First thought he had was that the door has closed silently on its own, but he went green as he realized that doors didn't breathe.

Scowling, the professor continued to prowl the dudgeons in hopes of calming his nerves. He was silently hoping that the headmaster thought to leave the potions master's chambers after his exit. Thinking of what he was going to tell the brat the next day did not help to settle his anger. He was actually being made to _help_ Potter. Of all people. Ok. Maybe the boy would need help with everything if things were that serious. Which he was sure it was. He actually cringed away from _the headmaster's_ touch. Obviously, it meant the damage was serious.

Nevertheless, that was what Albus was for! He helped Severus dearly, but what gave him the idea the Severus would be able to do the same? And to POTTER of all people. The one person that he truly couldn't stand. Severus was sure that the feeling was mutual too. He could tell the headmaster had wanted him to share past experiences with the boy. Bah! Like that was possible. The menace would probably go off and tell all his lackeys about the greasy git's miserable childhood. They'd probably have a good laugh about it too. Probably the same reaction they had when they found out he had been the recipient of James Potter's taunts, increased tenfold.

A new wave of anger surged him as he remembered that the brat had the nerve to look into his personal memories the year before. He had practically thrown Potter out that day. He nearly stopped in his tracks when he realized something. He couldn't exactly remember how Potter had reacted to being bodily thrown out, but he did remember that Potter had immediately ran out to escape the potions masters' wrath. He was blinded by anger that day. He sighed in frustration when he couldn't recall if the boy was truly scared that day or not. Was he truly so oblivious?

Snapping into reality as he herd a low rustled movement, he looked up to hear _something_ lurking in the darker part of the dungeons. Taking caution and having his wand at the ready, the professor silently made his way towards the origin of the sound.

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	9. Intruders

Slowly moving towards the source, he saw the door to one of the more…. secretive.. rooms opened, and silently swore. How the bloody hell did anyone manage to get into the castle? A spell ready on the tip of his tongue, he made his way towards the door. The door he normally kept hidden with a rather strong spell. The moment he saw someone hidden beneath a black robe, he casted the disarming and stunning spell in quick succession.

Two seconds later Snape grabbed the fallen person by the scruff of his neck and pulled him away from his place blockading the door.

Finally getting a good look at his face, he saw that it was Nathan Cardelus, a Slytherin that had left school about three years prior. Checking his forearm, Severus found that the boy was apparently a new recruit for the dark lord as well. Pressing a portkey into Cardelus' hand, he sent the boy off to a warded room behind the headmaster's office, confident that Albus would take care of it.

Severus' mind was reeling. How did he get in? He knew he would have to check the wards, and would even resort to checking the sealed door that led to the bottom of the black lake if he had to.

Then he realized that Cardelus was probably acting on his own accord since there was no backup whatsoever. Barely managing not to cringe, Severus then realized that the dark lord would not be happy with this, especially if he was forming some sort of plan with the opening somewhere in the wards. Cardelus would probably be safer in Azkaban anyhow, but with out doubt Severus knew the rest of the death eaters would pay for his mistake. Realizing he still hadn't entered the room to check for changes, he was snapped out of his thoughts.

Cautiously peering inside, all thoughts of his wand were forgotten as he unconsciously put it away. The anger he had barely managed to keep at bay expelled full force. His breathing heavy, he watched as the young man continued to look at stuff he, so obviously, wasn't suppose to see. He must've just realized that as he stared at Severus with shock, not even attempting to be discreet. He could see the boy go even more tense then he had been, after realizing that it wasn't just an object he was backed up against, but instead a death eater. As soon as the boy caught his eyes he was approaching, fueled by blind fury.

Too far out of it, he continued to back the boy up, heading toward the table with the half filled vile. Seconds before he would have crashed into the table, Severus grabbed him by the hem of his shirt and pulled him close. He started off in a whisper, though it didn't exactly help.

"What. Are you doing IN HERE?" his voice steadily rising.

Out of it, he continues to rant, anger consuming him. When he finally catches himself, his hand was raised as if to strike, and Potter was so lost that his eyes were dilated and he seemingly forgot where he was.

Abruptly Snape lets go, and Harry falls. Things happened in slow motion after that. Harry falls into the table, hitting his head and shaking the table roughly, causing the potion to fall over. The marble table starts to steam and burn away. Without thinking, Snape throws himself over Harry, knocking the air out of both of them. What's left of the potion dribbles onto Snape's robes, over his back. In seconds Snape was screaming. That particular potion would burn through anything and happened to be scorching the flesh on his back.

Snape blacked out, and knew no more.

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Opening his eyes, the first thing he notices is the amount of pain he's in. It hurt unbearably, which was really saying something, considering how long the man was able to stand under the cruciatus curse. Memories came back to him all at once and he was on his feet in seconds, attempting to ignore the dizzy spell that came over him. He was probably out for no more then 10 minutes.

His feet were unstable, but he managed to stagger over to a cabinet for a flesh restoring potion. There was blood all over the floor and he fell to his knees as it all started to grow back at once. Half an hour later the pain became slightly tolerable and the first thing he noticed was the missing Potter. Last thing he had remembered was landing on Potter, and when he woke up the boy was gone. _Just like him to just leave me like that. _Then he noticed slight moving in the corner. It was Potter, but he looked so much smaller curled up like that.

A new spark of anger came to Snape as he saw him.

"Get up! What were you thinking? Do you have ANY sense at all, just going into and an unknown room, in the dungeons of all places! Did you even think about what could be lurking behind closed doors? Potter! There was a bloody DEATH EATER behind you! Who knows what he could've done with you! I've never seen such blind stupidity before!"

His tirade was cut short and he realized the boy was muttering. He continued to repeat I'm sorry, over and over again. Potter had a cut on the back of his head from where he hit the table, and had Snape's blood on him too, but neither paid particular attention to it.

Sighing, Snape briskly stalks towards the front of the room to get a calming potion. When he touches the boy though, attempting to give him the potion, he flinches violently and breaks off into a run. It was pointless though, as he just ends up in another corner. Taking an easier route, Snape stuns him and pours the potion down his throat, rubbing circles so he wouldn't choke. A few seconds later he unstuns him, only to have the boy once again curl into himself, still muttering nonsense such as "stop" and "Uncle Vernon" and "don't hurt me".

When the boy came back to himself he was still rather lost and shaken, so Snape lifts him up and was about to drop him off in the infirmary when he stopped. Someone really need to check the wards and the castle for other death eaters, but he remembered his agreement with Potter to keep the situation out of Poppy's hands. Although it didn't seem like it, Snape was a man of his word. He was pretty sure Dumbledore had taken care of the wards already anyways. Severus would never allow Potter into his rooms, so he just decided to go to Potter's own temporary room.

Walking, he realized that the boy was indeed too light for his age. Filing the thought away, he continued on, ignorant towards the large gap in the back of his robes, and the tender flesh being exposed from it. Reaching the rooms he said the password that Albus had given him and entered. Placing Harry on the bed, he was about to leave when he realized he couldn't. Sighing, he returned to the bed and muttered a cleaning spell on Harry's clothes. Then he sealed the cut on the back of the boy's head.

Finished with that, he summoned a pain numbing potion, dreamless sleep potion, and two blood replenishing potions from the currently opened painting on Harry's right, which led to Severus' own rooms. Shutting the huge painting of the whomping willow closed, he took a blood replenishing potion himself before returning to Harry's rooms. After giving Potter the potions, he makes his way up to the headmaster chamber to answer the questions he knew the headmaster had.

Knocking on the door with no avail, Severus was about to leave when the headmaster came up behind him. Inviting him in, the headmaster went straight to business. First question asked was where Cardelus' body was found. After explaining the entirety of the situation to Albus, silence was met. The headmaster was gazing at him sadly, and Severus could tell it was mostly because of all the people he they continue to loose to the Dark Lord. Putting it aside, Albus informs Severus that the wards were fully intact. Shortly afterwards, Severus left, making his way down to a place that wasn't visited for about 35 years.

After finally getting there, Severus pulled to a halt in front of a huge black gate. It was aged and rusted, but strong as ever. After removing the charm put on it, Severus pulled out the unique key from his pocket and crouched down. Using his wand for light, he unlocked the gate and continued down the stairs with seemingly no end. There were no torches down there, so he had conveniently borrowed the lighter from Dumbledore. Lighting up the place, he made his way to the back corner of the room where the door was, his boots noisily thumping as he walked through the murky remnants of water. It smelled horribly like seaweed and other… things….that lurked the lake.

By the time he reached the door he knew something was wrong. The water level continued to increase. Ignoring his disgust, he placed the bubblehead charm on himself to inspect the creases underneath the door. Just had he expected, there was a hole. A really small one, barely big enough for a rat to fit through, but a hole nevertheless.

After sealing it to the best of his ability, he made his way back up to the headmaster's office. Once out of the water he cast a cleaning and drying spell on himself, but knew it wouldn't be enough. He resolved that he would take a very long shower when this business was over and done with.

He continued to ponder the small hole as he made his way. If the dark lord had known, he would've acted already. Hmph. _Maybe the dunderhead wanted to bring Potter back as a "surprise". _He also wondered what could have caused the hole. Maybe it was that damn squid. _Look where that got the boy, _thought Severus, now following a different trail of thought. _He would've been better off telling the dark lord. We were lucky though, that things went in favor of the light. We might not be so lucky next time._

After telling Albus of his findings, Severus found that the headmaster had postponed his trip for the order for at least another five days. He wanted to make sure the wards would remain intact and that everything concerning Cardelus being found in Hogwarts was sorted out at the ministry. Later that night, Snape uncharacteristically fell into bed with great exhaustion, not looking forward to getting up the next morning.

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	10. The map

Harry was currently searching through his trunk, attempting to find the transfiguration essay he had started on the Hogwarts Express a month or so ago. He was trying terribly to forget what had happened the day before. Looking at the essay, he found innumerable mistakes in it, but that was probably because his mind had been focused elsewhere when he was writing it. At the moment he was feeling pretty good, apart from the killer embarrassment.

Not three hours later, a knock was heard on the door, nearly startling Harry off the bed. After quickly checking the map beside him, he quickly put it away and allowed Albus Dumbledore entrance. If the headmaster was surprised with Harry doing his homework, he certainly didn't show it.

Harry couldn't help but be anxious at the headmaster's appearance. Would he scold him? Hate him? He couldn't be expelled from school because of this could he? It was summer after all… but still. Would he say that Harry was too hectic to take care of over the summer, and send him away? Would he punish him? Would he lock him in the room? Harry was filled with dread and cautiousness as his mind once again took control of him.

But the headmaster did none of these things, instead, he approached the end of the bed and glanced over Harry's essay. The silence was torturous. When the headmaster finally spoke, it was just a comment on a minor error in his essay. Finally finished stalling, he brought up the topic at the heart of Harry's anxiety.

"So, my boy, what did you think of the lab?" The question was innocent enough, but that was the part that really troubled Harry.

"Err….. I didn't really mean to go in there." Harry mumbled, suddenly finding the floor rather interesting.

"Yes well… whether you meant to or not, is irrelevant. If it hadn't happened then, it would have happened sooner or later. At least this time Severus was there, and the Death Eater was captured. You know, Harry, I believe all things happen for some reason or another. If it weren't for your mistake, the death eater would still be there regardless, but we might not even have realized Snape found a hole in the door leading into the black lake. If it weren't for occurrences, maybe the hole wouldn't have been found until it was too late."

Harry pondered what the headmaster was saying. Of course, it was most likely another puzzle, and Harry had the feeling the headmaster wasn't talking about the day before alone. Finally looking up, Harry was startled to see the headmaster had left. _Damn him for leaving me with another bloody riddle. _Shaking his head, Harry once again checked over his Transfiguration essay before starting on potions.

Halfway through the essay he realized that the topic Snape had assigned them was barely covered in their potions text. He was tired of doing homework anyways, so he decided to make his way up to the library. He was about the leave when he turned around and stuffed all his books into his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. _No point of coming back here to do the work. _Reaching the library, he looked around, only to find it deserted. He nearly slapped himself on the forehead for his stupidity.

Of course no one was there! It was the summer. Another thing he had to make himself different from your average wizard. He was probably one of the very few students that have been to Hogwarts over the summer. The silence pulled him back into his thoughts of the lab.

He couldn't find himself feeling too guilty over the occurrence. It was only proof of how many places were hidden all over the castle. Silently he decided that the next time he thought to explore the dungeons, he'd actually take the map with him. Actually…. not only the dungeons, but everywhere in the school.

Then he realized that the map hadn't shown the lab, so there must be more.. a lot more… to be found. All he had to do now was find a way to make the map show it. He moved to a table towards the back and took the map out of his bag. As quietly as he could, he mumbled the password. The walls did have ears, after all. Looking at the map, he noticed that Dumbledore was in his office and Snape was in his rooms. Filch was in the great hall, probably cleaning since there were no students to torture, and Mrs. Norris wasn't on the map at the moment…. _interesting_, he thought. During the school year, there were too many other people on the map to notice Mrs. Norris, but now that he thought about it, she disappeared a lot, and strangely ran into you at the worst of times.

Deciding he'd think about that later, he looked at the blank piece of parchment where the entrance to the lab should have been. He was unconsciously tracing the supposed entrance with his finger, when Hedwig swooped in. Madam Pince would have had a fit were she here. Harry was so out of it that he nearly threw the bird off his shoulder when she landed. In his panic, he accidentally cut his finger on one of her claws. He didn't notice it, however, until after he replaced his hand on the map.

Then the strangest thing happened. The blood seemed to be thinning and running around on the map, despite the fact that hardly any blood had fallen. He started breathing heavily as he realized that words were forming. He tried to calm himself by remembering what the map had done to Snape back in his third year, but he still remembered Tom's diary and the writing on the wall from the year before that. It sort of helped somewhat when he remembered the his father had helped make it. And Pettigrew, he added, but nothing could change the fact that Pettigrew was too stupid to do squat.

The second the words ceased to form, he read the message. **This map is unfinished, but our time at Hogwarts runs short. You are not one of us, but it is our blood that runs through your veins. It is up to you to finish this map and carry on what we have been doing for seven years. Make us proud to call you our brother….**_** (**__**or**__**sister). **_**That was moony…. Yes OR sister, but the point is,… what was our point? You know our point…**** (****Great padfoot! You totally messed up our speech, and you know we can't change it now! I knew I should've read it.) ****Yes well…. Whatever…. its still recording us. Oh….um… what do I say? Don't forget us! We are THE greatest pranksters ever known to wizard.**

**~The Marauders**

Any nervousness Harry had was gone now. That was definitely Sirius and his dad. He smiled… it was a sad smile, but he was getting somewhere. There was still that horrible ache that makes him feel like he needed to go jump into a lake, but…. the message did sort of help… somehow. The least he could do was finish the map for them. _And that's exactly what I'm gonna do_, he said to himself. He was brought back to reality when sharp claws tightened on his shoulder.  
He saw that Hedwig had a small package tied to her foot and slowly took it from her. She left right after, as if to say that he took too long. Opening the letter that was attached , he saw it was from the twins. Browsing through it, he saw that it basically said that business was pouring in and that attached were some of their newest products. When he opened the package, there was a chocolate frog box. Cautiously opening the box, he made sure to remember NOT to eat anything the twins gave him. Especially if they claimed it to be one of their products. At first he wondered how the twins got Hedwig to give him the letter. But he didn't ponder it too much since Hedwig was a smart bird ad the twins were….well…. the twins!

He reached his hand inside and took the first thing he felt. He was amazed, as the item was about twice the size of the box. Then it just came to him. It was a box with basically no bottom, disguised to look like candy so you could….. There were a lot of things you could do with it. Silently thanking Fred and George, he decided to put whatever it was away and concentrate on it some other time. Looking back at the map, he nearly laughed at what he realized. They told him to finish it, but how the bloody hell do you add anything to it?

Part of him was sure they did it purposely, kind of like a test of some sort. His thoughts were drawn aside, however, by the dot making its way towards the general area of the library. Severus Snape more specifically. Not taking chances, he put everything into his bag. It still sort of amazed him that you could actually fit all that stuff into such a small box. He then took out his transfiguration/potions essays and books.

For some reason he felt that he should show McGonagall that he could actually do good work, had he the time. Snape was a lost cause since he would fail him anyways… but still…. maybe he might actually read Harry's essay for once. Whatever the reason, Harry decided that he was actually going to do all his work right, even it was just to prove to himself that he would've done the summer essays well if he could. Harry made his way to gather books on both topics, plus History of magic. Binns has no idea what he's talking about anyways and when Harry was stuck being bored to death, he might as well _try _to do better.

Harry smirked as he thought about Ron and Hermione's reactions to what he was doing. Ron would be horrified and Hermione gleeful. The smirk was lost though as he continued to think about his friends. Shaking his head he was quickly absorbed with the work he was doing. Suddenly his scar flared pain, and he pressed his hand to his forehead in a lost effort to keep the pain at bay. After it dimmed to a dull ache, he checked the time, he was shocked to see over four hours had passed, and he hadn't once thought about all those things that were bothering him. It was the prefect solution to get away from it all, but his eyes were burning. He was in the library longer then he is for an entire month of school! Grabbing his things, he left and started wondering aimlessly. He remembered that Snape was suppose to be somewhere in the area and decided to go back down to his room. Once there, he was drowned into the monotony of homework, only stopping occasionally to think about the map.

/Meanwhile\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Snape was still thinking as made he made his to his potion's lab. The normal one. His back was still rather raw, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. After leaving the lab, he made his way to the library. He came to a stop in front of the door, however. It was silent enough for him to hear the dull flipping of pages from inside. Realizing it must be Potter, he turned around and was about to leave when he went to knees in silent pain. Despite the fact that it has been happening for more then a year, the pain seemed to increase every time he was called. Stomach churning, he quickly made his way to the lab and left immediately, after sending his patronus to Dumbledore, and apparating as soon as he passed the wards.

The huge empty chamber was always dark enough to send shivers down his back, although it never showed. Like always, the place reeked of dark magic, and The Dark Lord was still sitting on that same chair. The one made of the bone of the "enemy". It was terribly twisted…. the way his mind worked. Looking around, he noticed it wasn't a full meeting. As only Malfoy, Pettigrew, and himself were present.

Obviously the Dark Lord either didn't know about the capture yet, or wasn't informed of the plan at all, because if he had, plenty more death eaters would have been called, about twenty would be screaming in pain at that very moment. "Severussss…. tell me…has the fool told you anything of Potter's location. Anything at all?" Occluding, Snape said "No, nothing as of yet, my lord. It seems his level of trust is rather limited. Especially concerning the Potter brat. I'm sure that it will change in time. I will be sure that is does" Clearly Voldemort wasn't happy with this.

"I've given you time Severus. Plenty of time. It should not be taking this long for the fool to trust you. He's trust wrong time and time again. This is what you shall do. You will inform him of an attack on Hogsmeade, three days from now. I will send some of the new recruits with portkeys. It shall be and initiation of some sort, we can say. Make sure you go with the fool. Attack our side if you must."

Severus' mind was swimming with unasked questions. Mostly about the fact that many of his former students that he couldn't gain control of could be captured or killed that day. The thought saddened him, but he didn't show it of course.

The Dark Lord must have asked him something, because a second later he was under the cruciatus. What seemed like an eternity later, the curse was lifted.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND… Severuss?"

"Of couse my lord" Severus replied.

Shortly after, he found himself making the torturous walk up to the Headmaster's office, so out of it that he didn't realize Peeves had dropped a banana peel on his head. And that was saying something.

* * *

For the writing on the map, Sirius did most of the talking, Remus said "or sister", and James said the whole thing about messing up the speech.

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	11. The bike

Slowly and painfully, he made his way up to the office. Reaching the gargoyle, he didn't utter a word as it began to turn. After stepping foot on the stairs, he braced on the wall for support. There, at the desk, sat Dumbledore, looking grave as he always did whenever Severus returned from a meeting. If he noticed the banana peel, he didn't say anything. Warily, Severus explained the details of the meeting. During this, Dumbledore called an elf and whispered in his ear. Nodding, the elf apparated, the banana peel following more quietly. By the time Severus was finished, Dumbledore was already forming a plan in his head.

"First things first" he said, "Tell Voldemort (Severus flinching at the name) that I had planned for me, you, and a couple of aurors to be there... All we can do now is wait for it. As for the Dursley's address, I will plan on it, for the slightest error has the ability to make a huge difference. It is a delicate situation."

Severus nodded sharply. As he turned to leave, Dumbledore's quiet voice stopped him.

"Severus" he said.

Snape waited for him to continue.

"You do understand that it is not wise for Harry to be left here after my departure. The wards will be weaker, albeit slightly, and as I continue to ponder the situation, the more I feel that he shouldn't stay here"

Snape said nothing. He had to admit that what the headmaster had said was true. However, the meaning behind it was not something he was ready to acknowledge. Before he was able to formulate a response, Dumbledore continued.

"Never mind this for now Severus; I'm sure you will agree that this topic would be best left for a time where things have settled down. We have time. I simply thought it wise to inform you so that you may have more time to ponder it."

"Very well" Snape said, already processing there next dilemma. Clumsily but quickly, he made his was to his rooms, while uncharacteristically tripping over himself. Surprisingly, he made it without falling.

He had been so tired that he had not realized that he could have used the floo. Apparently, Dumbledore hadn't remembered either. Good thing it was summer and no students would see him in such condition.

He was just about to lie upon the inviting bed when a loud thump was heard in the next room. Still slightly incoherent, he jumped and took out his wand. Giving himself a second to think, he remembered who was currently residing there. For some reason unknown, he became furious that the boy would disturb him at that time. Closing the door to his rooms loud enough to wake the dead, he made his way to the room next door. Slamming the door open, he checked for the source of the noise and did not expect to find what he did. There, on the floor, was Potter, franticly moving around and getting himself tangled with the bed sheets.

His face was covered in a sheen of sweat and he was muttering rather loudly.

"Potter" Snape said.

Obviously, it wasn't helping the boy, as he curled into himself even more. Snape then attempted roughly to untangle the sheets that were bound to choke the boy. Although the reaction should have been expected, Snape couldn't help but be caught off guard by it. The second he touched the boy's shoulder, he was kicked… hard… in the stomach. As he worked to regain composure, the boy continued to reverse until he hit the wall, hands overhead. It somewhat reminded him of the day in the lab.

Two seconds later, he decided that it might be best to wake the boy up from a distance.

"Potter!", He yelled one more.

The boy's eyes opened unseeingly. Could the boy's nightmare truly be that bad? Snape thought silently to himself.

Next thing he knew, Potter was looking at him, awareness coming to him. Not a second later, he turned away. If it wasn't so dark, Snape was sure he would see the boy blushing. In a rather low voice… the boy stumble over his words.

"I..I'm sorry sir. I woke you?"

After hearing no response to this, Harry continued.

"Err.. Right. Am I allowed to do magic here sir? I…I could put up a silencing charm." Still Snape continued to look at him.

It was getting really awkward when Snape seemed to snap out of whatever world he was in.

"No… no don't do that Potter", he responded offhandedly.

"err…" was all Harry said, having no idea what to expect from the potions master.

Snape wasn't sure how to continue either. What could he say? Deciding it wouldn't make a difference, he got to the point.

"Was that a nightmare Potter? Or…"

They both knew Harry understood the unspoken meaning. Swallowing, Harry spoke up, his voice slightly louder this time.

"Er… it was only a nightmare sir."

He knew it was…. It wasn't possible for people to die twice. "

Um.. You could just throw a shoe or something at me and I'd wake up. And I'll ask Professor Dumbledore about the charm sir."

"Throw a shoe at you…" Snape couldn't help but repeat the obtuse suggestion.

Why would he do that for? Brushing off what he knew was going to be a pointless reply, he continued on.

"Yes Potter, you may do magic whilst here, but I do not want any silencing charms up."

Seeing as the boy was about to protest, he continued on, slightly more forceful.

"Someone should be here to wake you up before you strangle yourself after all the trouble we went through keeping you alive."

With that said, he made his way to the door, turning around once to say, "I have dreamless sleep. You may use it no more then three nights a week but you may ask me for it" Before Harry could even think to formulate a reply, he was gone.

Meanwhile, Harry's half-asleep mind was still muddled with everything that just happened. Checking Dudley's old watch, he saw that it was nearly four in the morning. Not feeling up to going back to sleep, he went to sit on the bed, eyes closed and his head resting on the post. So… he was allowed to do magic. That will make things easier. But then there's the fact that Snape didn't want the charms up. It bothered him that the man would want to hear his aimless mutterings and screams. For what? He had no idea. He would later find it to be a cruel thought, but at the moment it was like Snape was pleased to here his suffering.

By the time Dobby arrived with Harry's lunch, he was nearly finished with his potions essay and was working on charms. He decided he would check them over later so the mistakes could be easier to spot. After eating as much as he could, which wasn't even a lot, he decided to go and walk around the lake.

He use to love going before fourth year. Now it was only associated with bad memories. Some of them not even his own. His favorite place, right by the tree, was exactly where Snape's memory had occurred. It wouldn't be exactly true for Harry to continue to call that spot his favorite.

It hurt that his father would do that. Yes, he was young at the time, but he was about Harry's current age… and Harry would never do something like that. He was pulled out of his thoughts after seeing a sight he thought he would never witness. Snape was sitting by that very tree. This surprised Harry for many reasons. One was that it was sure to bring back bad memories. Another was that he never could picture the older Snape sitting on the grass…until now. As if sensing Harry's presence, Snape looked up sharply, glare in place. Harry was just about to turn the other way when Snape got up. The only indication that he noticed Harry was the glare. Other then that, it was as though Harry wasn't there as he shoved pass him and continued on towards the castle.

Harry, learning to not really give a damn at the man's bipolarity, continued on as if nothing happened, coming to a stop on the spot recently vacated by Snape. He scowled, not unlike Snape, as he continued on walking. At first, it was angry and brisk, but soon he managed to cool down and slow his pace. He was halfway around the lake when he felt the first drop of rain land on his head. He started to walk fast and then later started jogging, attempting to get to the castle before the rain caught him. He was well aware of how big the lake was, a little too aware to his taste. And he knew he wouldn't make it back dry. It was a lot harder to run as the ground got muddier and the rain came down harder and harder.

He was attempting to wipe his glasses when they slipped off his face and onto the ground. Swearing, he went to his knees and hurriedly searched for them. Forgetting how close he was to the lake, he accidentally reached his hand into it, using a little too much pressure. He ended up falling head first into the lake. The weirdest part of it was that he hit solid ground not long after falling in. After gaining his footing, he was about to climb out when something hit his leg….hard. Fear gripped at his chest as he blindly continued to grip at the edge.

After finally climbing out, he realized he brought something with him.

He moved backwards until his hand hit something. His glasses to be more specific. They were muddy and he just bent the frame, but he didn't care. Placing them on his face, he saw that it was a bike. A moving bike. That was now loosing hold of his leg. It became upright and was very still. Somehow, Harry managed to see it coming when the bike charged towards him and swiftly moved out of the way.

Purely out of reflexes, he reached for his wand. He panicked as he didn't feel it. At the last minute he remembered that there had been a convenient pocket sewn in under his sleeve that seemed like it was made for a wand. He immobilized the bike and waited a few seconds for his heartbeat to slow down. Where the bloody hell did that bike come from? For some reason, he felt that that wouldn't be the last time he saw that bike. Maybe it was just because of the scenario back in second year with Mr. Weasley's car. When he was finally thinking clearly, he felt like kicking himself.

He was a wizard….and he was at Hogwarts. _Ugh, I'm so stupid_ he thought. He could have used his wand to get his glasses for him….it could've kept him from getting wet in the first place. After charming himself dry and fixing his glasses, he made his way to the castle at a more relaxed pace. He felt the headache coming on as he made his way inside.

At that very second he saw the Bloody Barron moving his way. Without even stopping, he told Harry that the headmaster required his presence. Not attempting to conceal the grown, he tiredly made his way up to the office.

88888888

Snape was mad. One of the things that seemed to be happening a lot lately. After reaching the castle he turned to see the brat standing right where Snape was previously sitting. _Probably thinking about his bloody father's….achievements. _Somewhat allowing the anger to get to him he made his way to the dungeons when he ran into the headmaster. Not really in the mood to discuss the brat, he shook his head and continued on, too annoyed to care about how rude he was. The headmaster, however, was unfazed, seemingly understanding Snape's currently fowl mood. As though it never happened, he made his way to his office and called on the Bloody Barron to relay a message to a certain boy.

888

Finally arriving at the office, he reached for the door and heard the "come in" from the headmaster. After refusing the tea and other pleasantries the headmaster had to offer, he finally got to the point.

"Harry… I've been thinking about this for a while, and I believe it would be for the best."

Harry felt like he would throw up. Anything that started off like this had to be bad. The only thing he could really think of was being sent back to the Dursley's. He felt miserable. Not for long though, as anger set in. Snape had made him go through all this for nothing. He would go back..

His uncle would be furious…. And even if he made it back to Hogwarts, he would only be ridiculed by Snape and receive pity from every other corner. Snape…or even Dumbledore for that matter. Wouldn't keep this to themselves. Voice barely coherent, Harry spoke.

"So... you're sending me back. I understand. Ok….." he lost what was left of his voice then.

"No, no! Of course not my dear boy. You will NOT be returning there." The air with which he said had a sense of finality to it.

Harry had too much experience with adults lying to him to believe this, however. He said nothing as the dread refused to leave him.

"You won't Harry. You will not go back there. I am simply informing you so that you will not go to the trouble of unpacking everything"

Seeing the questioning look on Harry's face, he answered the unasked question.

"At the moment I am unsure of where you shall be staying, but worry not about it dear boy. It will be taken care of"

To Harry those words simply deciphered to… I could not find anyone who wants to take you in.

Finding his voice, he said "I apologize for all the trouble headmaster… I'm really sorry"

Dumbledore looked sad and his eyes dimmed as he explained to Harry that he was no problem at all. Harry nodded unconvincingly before making an excuse on being tired.

Making his way to the dungeons, all he could think of was the headmaster sending him back to the Dursley's when he found no where else. He should've seen it coming anyways. It just hurt that he couldn't tell himself that maybe the headmaster didn't know what he was put through.

_Whatever_, he thought.

Maybe he did deserve it.

* * *

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	12. Surprises

A slight guilt finally set in on Snape as he thought about how he just brushed off his mentor like that. Only Albus could make him feel this way. And it irked him to no end. After deciding that what's done is done, he decided on going up in an hour or so, just like the headmaster would expect him too. At the moment, however, what he needed was a stiff drink. Then he decided against it. There was no point in relaxing only to get wound up again when talking to the headmaster. After the unsuccessful attempt of reading, he abruptly got up to make his way to the headmaster's office.

He knew luck was against him when he ran into Potter. The weird thing about it was that the boy didn't even realize he was there. He was deep in thought apparently. Not caring one ounce, he continued and made a stop in front of the door to the headmaster's office. Just as expected, the headmaster knew he was there. He was willing to bet that the coot had some type of charm up for this. Not that it was a bad idea or anything.

Directly after entering, the headmaster had immediately asked Snape if he had seen Potter on the way up. Of course the Golden boy would be his main concern. Nodding his head, he took a seat. "You wished to speak to me headmaster?"

"It's Albus, my boy, Albus. No longer are you a student here."

"Of course….Albus", Snape replied, stiffly.

The Professor never really could get use to calling the headmaster by his name. The way he made him feel like a child and how he continued to call him "my boy" just didn't make it feel right.

As if suddenly remembering what he needed to tell Snape, he started speaking.

"Severus I believe it would best if you took Harry under your care for the time being."

Severus said nothing. The only indication that he had heard was the way his jaw was set and fists were clenched.

"Do you really think this a wise decision, sir?"

He knew this was coming but that fact that it actually happened made any remaining hope leave him.

"Out of all the possible places, yes, I believe he is safest with you. Voldemort (Snape flinches) will least expect Harry to be in the house of his trusted. Also, with all the wards that were placed on and around the area of the Snape house, he will be undetectable. Staying with anyone else would put said people in nearly as much danger as Harry himself. "

Once again the headmaster had taken down all possibilities in one go.

"So having Potter stay in a huge house, filled with the dark artifacts of a former death eater, who by the way must invite fellow death eaters over at times, is the safest place for the boy? Especially a boy who wanders and gets into trouble constantly? Not to mention that said house is in the middle of a delinquent neighborhood with many unruly boys that are possibly worse then Potter himself… if that is possible." Snape finished exhaustedly.

"Harry is not as bad as you believe him to be, I hope that you see that as you become more familiar with the boy. Harry can take care of himself, concerning the neighborhood. He's a tough boy and someone like Harry would hate being stuck indoors, but with the house's wards extending at a roughly 5 mile circumference, he doesn't have to worry about any wizard that does not wish him well."

Snape sighed. He doubted that Potter would be happy without his doting fans. He also realized how the headmaster had implied that he and Potter would become more "familiar" with each other. He didn't know why he even bothered to argue with the headmaster. It seems he always has everything completely thought out.

Resigned, he agreed with the headmaster that they would leave in three days time and left. The thought of Potter being in his house….living… in his house… made Severus feel like strangling someone. But sacrifices must be made and it seems like his sanity would be one of those sacrifices. He stopped walking when he realized that he would have to either inform the boy now or in the morning. The thought of Potter's reaction considerably brightened his mood. So he continued on towards the dungeons, destination changing.

Reaching the front door, he paused. For what, he did not know. All he had to do was go in, tell the boy that they were leaving for Snape house, and leave. But for some reason he found it easier said then done. Feeling some foreign emotion swell in his chest, he angrily pushed it away and abruptly swung the door open. Seeing the boy looking towards him, Snape couldn't help but be caught off guard by what he saw. The boy's eyes were somewhat dull and guarded. Not exactly lifeless, but it was expressionless.

It rather shocked Snape that someone so horrible at occlumency could act so like…..himself. No.. not himself, he mentally swore. The boy was nothing like him. Not wasting anymore time he barked at the boy to have his things packed by noon the next day so that he may be ready to leave for Snape house. He was planning on waiting for a reaction, but seeing the boy like that made him think he wouldn't get much out of him. So after saying what he needed to, he left not bothering to shut the door or look back.

88888888

Harry was depressed. He was currently packing up everything he had removed from his trunk. After double checking to make sure he had his wand and invisibility cloak, he sank into the bed, Marauder's map in hand. Not in the mood to wander or do homework, he lazily stared at the map. Catching Snape's name, he continued to follow it with his eyes while his mind was elsewhere, therefore it took him a while to realize that Snape had paused right in front of his door. Hurrying to stuff the map under the mattress and making a mental note to pick it up later, he lied down. Staring at his ceiling he continued to wonder why Snape chose to stand in front of the door instead of coming in or leaving.

Maybe the headmaster had told Snape to tell him to pack for the Dursley's and he actually felt a little guilty about putting him through all of this. Pssh. Like that was possible… this was Snape he was talking about! Snape's probably thinking that he did his duty of reporting it so it didn't matter anymore. He barely managed to suppress a sigh as the door swung open. Looking towards the potions master with dull eyes, he mentally braced himself so that little emotion would be exposed in front of Snape.

For the first few seconds it seemed as though Snape was just going to stand there. But then he started yelling for Harry to have his things packed by the next day. It wasn't easy to maintain his mask with all the emotions going through him at the moment. He barely managed to keep the flinch at bay. But, damnit, he hated when people yelled… Harry was sure the he'd be hearing a lot more of it by the end of the summer. He felt both shocked and scared at the thought of Snape taking him in. He also felt hurt that the headmaster would force Snape to do this.

Anyone could tell that the headmaster had made Snape just by the look that was on his face. Nobody would take him without being forced too anyways. The last feeling he felt though, was relief. It was weird that he felt he'd be better off with Snape. But then again, anyone was better then the Dursleys. But he still felt bad for being such a burden on everyone.

Sighing he got up and made his way to the owlery. All he wanted to do was be with Hedwig, his first and closest friend. The next two days passed in a blur. Harry would spend his time either catching up on schoolwork or visiting the owlery. Harry still preferred the monotony of schoolwork, however, as it got him away from his troubled thoughts and impending doom. Ok… maybe he was exaggerating but Hermione would be proud to see him in the library or actually applying himself.

Next thing he knew he found himself in the great hall with Snape and the headmaster, shrunken trunk in his pocket. He was currently staring in shock at Snape. The man was wearing MUGGLE clothes…he thought he'd never see the day. Of course, it was a tight black T-shirt and black….jeans. Suddenly standing next to the man made him feel much more puny then normal, though he should've been use to that by now.

Who would've guessed that Snape had muscle hidden underneath all those robes? Probably from all those years of potion making. He was skinny but definitely strong. Harry was silently thinking that he definitely didn't want to get on Snape's bad side.

The headmaster said goodbye to them both, and then they were walking out onto the school grounds. He couldn't help the dread he felt as Dumbledore and the safety of the school got farther and farther from him. He tried to cheer himself up by remembering he only had about a month left of summer break. He jumped when he felt Snape grab onto his arm and they were both sucked into the narrow tube of apparition.

Glad to have kept his balance, Harry surveyed the area. It definitely wasn't what he was expecting. Down the street there was a bunch of guys about his age. They were playing that muggle basketball game,, but a few of them stopped to look curiously at him. After looking at Snape, however, they just went back to the game. At least now Harry knew that Snape had that affect on everyone and not just his students. Looking down the other way, he sees a store with a radio blasting music in front of It.

What really got to him though, was the fact that they lived in a muggle neighborhood… probably somewhere in America. At least that explained the need for the muggle clothes. Harry felt out very out of place. There were many buildings and houses of different shapes and sizes. On private drive all the houses looked the same and it was a really quiet area. Where he was now seemed to be the complete opposite.

Looking at the building in front of him he noticed it was rather old looking. He never pictured that Snape would live….here! He then noticed that Snape was no longer next to him but now opening the lock on the door. The inside of the house did not look much better then the outside. The stairs were narrow and dusty and the single light bulb did not help much. It seemed dreary and Harry wished he didn't have to go in. Not ready to try Snape's temper yet, he closed the outside door and followed Snape up the stairs.

Reaching the top, he sees yet another hallway that led off to three doors. He knew curiosity would cause him to check them later on. But for now he followed Snape to the farthest door. When Snape opened it he realized it was a closet…..a closet? Then, to his surprise, Snape pushed the clothes to the farthest side and muttered some type of spell, revealing a huge lock. Snape then took an equally huge key out from his pocket. Opening the ancient lock, the both entered the hidden rooms.

Just when Harry thought he couldn't be any more surprised then he already was, his jaw dropped to the floor.

The house was HUGE! Nothing like what he had seen from the outside. He doubted that he would ever get use to the things magic could do. He was brought back to the present by the sound of Snape's voice.

"Potter… the ministry is unable to sense magic carried out in this house. However, I will not risk it. You will not use magic for menial things that you may accomplish on your own. Should I find you using it without good reason you will find your wand in my possession. As for leaving the house, you are to have our wand hidden and with you at all times. Should I find cause to confiscate it, you will not be allowed out. Only if the situation is dire should you use it whilst out on the off chance that the magic would destroy the wards. You will find muggle clothes with a wand pocket stitched into the side when you are shown to your rooms. Understood?"

"Yes sir," was all Harry said, he found no reason to argue with anything Snape had said, not that he would have.

Those rules were fair enough, and they wouldn't be hard to follow either since he spent most of his life living in a muggle household. Snape was surprised at the boy's easy compliance. Not letting it show, he continued. "This house has not been cleaned of the numerous dark artifacts as of yet. So until further notice, you are not to enter though this door. For now we will be staying in the muggle part of the house." With that said Snape led them back through the closet. Harry was silently wondering what was the point of showing him if he wasn't even allowed in.

Snape probably thought it would be better off knowing about it instead of discovering it himself and getting hurt wandering. Hah! Like Snape would care about that. He probably just didn't want Harry messing with any of his stuff and would have a fair reason to punish him if he went into those rooms anyway….not that Snape needed a fair reason. This reminded him of the fact that Snape would be his temporary guardian. It was too scary to think about the extra power Snape now held over him, so he didn't. Instead he thought about what he could do while he was there. Dumbledore had explained to him earlier that he wouldn't be able to correspond with his friends, but he wasn't planning to anyways.

He then thought back to those muggle boys playing outside. He never really got to play so Harry knew he would suck. Those boys would probably ignore him and act as though he weren't even there. Looking, Harry saw Snape open the first door they had passed after the stairs. Harry noticed that it looked like your average muggle house.

The door opened to a large living room with a TV and stereo. He never thought he'd see the day where Snape had those things in his house. The ambiance of the room was earthy and….homey. Snape will never seize to surprise him. Taking off his shoes he walked in and noticed a door opened to what was most likely a kitchen. He turned to see stairs that had been obscured by a wall.

"You may look around but you are not to leave this section of the house. I will be in my lab right through that door and down the stairs. I should not be more then ten minutes. You are never to enter the lab without my permission unless there is an emergency."

With that said, Snape went to the door by the corner of the living room and descended the stairs, somehow without making a sound. As Harry watched him go he pondered how Snape could give off that dramatic air even without his billowing robes. Harry made his way up the rug covered stairs. Reaching the top, he saw yet another hallway that led off to five rooms.

Opening the first, he saw a rather bare room with a huge bed, a neatly kept desk, and a wardrobe. All were made of dark wood and Harry already knew that the room belonged to Snape. He left quickly despite the fact the Snape had given him permission to look around.

Opening the next door he found that it led to the bathroom. But, like everything else in the house, it was no ordinary bathroom. First of all, it was huge. There was a deep, wide, round hot tub right next to the stand up shower. There were a lot of distorted windows, which made the room bright and welcoming.

After admiring for another few seconds, he made his way to the next room down. At this point he expected anything, so he was only half surprised to find a muggle weight room. That would help explain how potions master's muscular build.

Harry decided that he'd definitely be visiting this room a lot….. if he were allowed of course. The next two rooms were also bedrooms. The second one being nearly twice the size of the first.

He vaguely remembered Snape saying something about clothes in one of the rooms. He felt bad that someone had to spend money on him to get him them. It was probably Dumbledore. Harry silently prayed that his clothes weren't as….bright as the headmaster's clothes were known to be. He assumed the first room would be his, but decided to wait for Snape to tell him before he got into trouble. Going back down the stairs, he went in to the kitchens.

Opening the fridge, he marveled at all the food that was there. There was like…everything you could think of! _I wonder if Snape would ever ask me what I wish to eat for meals_, he thought. He remembered Hermione telling Ron and himself about the Snapes being a rich family. If that were true, then he was bound to have more then one house. Why would Snape pick this one? Already feeling bored, Harry returned to the living room. He didn't want to turn on the telly or anything on the chance that it would get the professor angry.

Right as that thought was running through his head, the potions master made an appearance. Just as expected, the smaller room had been Harry's. But truthfully, Harry was happy with it. Compared to the room at the Dursleys it was huge. It surprised him when his new guardian told him that he would be able to change the colors if he wished. Harry wished that Snape would set down some rules so that he would know what he would be able to do without getting in trouble. As through Snape had read his mind, he started calling off a list of rules.

"Your are not to enter my rooms, which is the first door on the right. You may enter any other room. When you are out, you will be back by nine unless I say otherwise. You are to tell me where you are going before you leave this house. Before bringing anyone in, you must inform me at least one day prior and I will decide if you may. I will show you the library later, but other then that you are not to enter any other part of this house. Today you will not be going out as it is already rather late and you will be unpacking you things. Any questions?"

"No sir," Harry said.

Snape was actually being fair about this, for now anyways. _Maybe I might actually get to enjoy this summer a bit_, Harry thought. Once Snape left, Harry then realized how tired he actually was. But the Professor said that he was to unpack. While doing that, he noticed a pair of pajamas. They were warm and Harry just had to put them on.

Taking a quick shower, he changed into them and landed on the bed for a dreamless sleep.

He may not have been wanted, but life was being fair at the moment.

Now its time to press that big green button thats right below this :) (please?)


	13. New Friends

The next morning Harry was already awake when Snape called him for breakfast. He was pondering all that had happened when Snape knocked on the door. He was probably the first to show any respect for Harry's privacy. After telling him to come down within the next ten minutes, Snape left. Making his way down the steps, the aroma that assaulted his nostrils reminded Harry of just how hungry he was. Walking into the kitchen, he saw Snape sitting down at the end of the table. Seeing that the spot to the right of him had been set, Harry took a seat.

Looking at all the food, his mouth began to water. There was probably a combination of every breakfast he had ever made at the Dursley's. He started picking up quickly as though the food would disappear at any given moment, when his hand was suddenly grabbed by another. A yelp escaped him and he tried to pull his hand back. Doing this only caused Snape to tighten his grip rather painfully. Harry could feel the panic rise in him when Snape abruptly let go. He cradled his arm to his chest and tensed himself.

Snape waited for him to calm down slightly before he started talking.

"I will not have you acting like a starved three year old. You are to act your age. Do not take anything else until your are finished with what you have."

Harry nodded, and when Snape looked at him expectantly, he mumbled a yes sir. Appeased for the moment, Snape went back to eating with his normal grace. As Harry attempted to copy him, he found himself slightly shaken. His arm hurt where Snape had grabbed him but he'd had worse, so he put it into the back of his mind.

He soon realized that Snape had a point to finishing what he had on his plate first. Harry continued to eat until he could barely look at the food without throwing up. But the thought of telling Snape he couldn't finish it had even less appeal. _No need to look ungrateful, especially if Snape decides to withhold meals for this, _he thought. Putting his nausea aside, Harry forced another bite into his mouth. Right afterwards he knew he had made the wrong decision.

About to be sick, Harry attempted a run for the loo. He barely made it two steps before his breakfast was all over the floor.

Immediately Harry started to sputter out apologies. He grabbed onto the first cloth he saw and made an attempt to clean up the mess, actually making it worse. He didn't hear Snape telling him to stop as he continued to think about how stupid he was to have done that. He fell into the mess as he jumped away, feeling a hand on his shoulder. Now his new pajamas were soiled! He continued to back away from Snape, not comprehending the fact the Snape didn't really seem angry, just annoyed.

But then again one could never tell with that man. He suddenly felt a weird sensation and a wall appeared in front of him. Turning around, Harry realized that he must have walked through the wall somehow. Damnit, that would mean he had just performed magic. At this rate he'd be back at the Dursley's in no time. Sinking down to the floor, he waited until his emotions were under control before he looked for the door. He didn't even think to look around. He was too busy trying to not to think of how angry Snape would be.

Noticing a door, he began to walk towards it and was about to turn the knob when it opened from the other side. Seeing Snape looming over him in a room with no other exits made Harry feel uncomfortably enclosed. Only then did Harry realize that he was stuttering apologies again.

Finally Snape had enough and yelled

"POTTER!"

Harry immediately quieted and squeaked out a yes sir. If the situation weren't so frightening he would have probably laughed at the way it came out.

"Now you see the reason why I told you to finish what you had first. However, you should have not pushed yourself. From what I saw, you were not being fed properly at the Dursley's and there was no one to regulate how much you ate your short time in Hogwarts. Your stomach needs to get accustomed to food again… you do not need to worry about lack of food here…"

Snape didn't really know why he added that last part, but he could see that the boy did not believe him. He may not like the brat but he wouldn't mistreat the boy. Silently Snape hoped the boy would realize that soon. Later Snape would wonder why it even mattered to him. Despite his skepticism, Harry nodded his head quickly.

"Shall I go back and clean up the mess, sir?"

"That has already been taken care of" Snape replied.

He once again took out as wand and scourgified his charge's clothes. After that was an awkward silence that Snape seemed oblivious too.

Deciding he needed to get away from the house, Harry decided to cautiously ask Snape if he could go outside. Snape nodded his consent and told him to remember his wand.

"Yes, sir" said Harry before he made his way to his room to change.

Opening the wardrobe, he saw a rather ugly pair of muggle pants and the dark red t-shirt. On the floor of the wardrobe he noticed an envelope. Opening it he found a large sum of muggle money and a note. Reading it, Harry discovered that Dumbledore had converted some of his money for him so that he could buy his own clothes. Harry was relieved that the headmaster probably realized that he would be bad at picking out muggle clothing. Changing into the only clothes he had at the moment and pocketing the money with his wand, he made his way out of the house.

Before reaching the door, though, Snape informed him that he had no more then three hours. Harry felt annoyed at the short time limit, but squelched it before Snape decided to not to let him out at all. Stepping outside, his ears were once again assaulted by the loud music. Harry decided to sit on the porch for a few minutes before actually going somewhere and getting lost. Getting a closer look, he realized that the building where he now lived at wasn't as old as he thought it was. He also noticed a lot of the houses around him were in the same condition.

Harry sighed and placed his head in his hands. Snape still confused him more then ever, but if he were going to live with the man he'd have to get use to it. Sometimes the Potions master would blow up on him for the stupidest things. Other times he seemed a little understanding…maybe even caring. If Snape could be like that, wouldn't it be the same as sometimes saying he wouldn't hit Harry… and other times doing the opposite. Harry gulped. If that were the case then he would just have to live with it. Even if Snape were no better then the Dursleys, he could handle it.

Harry knew that Snape was a lot better then the Dursley's though. He just hoped that the Professor wouldn't change for the worse as the summer went by. Looking up, he noticed a few of the boys from the day before coming out to play football. As they split up, Harry noticed three boys on one of the teams looking at him. He saw the tallest, and probably the oldest, turn to the others and say something. Shortly afterwards the boys began to walk towards Harry. The tall one started speaking as soon as he got within hearing distance.

"Hey you wanna play soccer with us?"

Harry didn't know what to say. But he knew for a fact now that he was in America. He knew enough about muggle sports to know only Americans called it soccer. He didn't know what to say to the boy though. He didn't want to make an idiot of himself by saying that he never played before… but it would be worse if he said ok and they found out on their own.

"I've never played before."

"It's all right, we'll show you. We just need another player."

Harry agreed to this and followed the boys back to the rest of group.

"What's your name?"

Damnit…Harry hadn't thought of that. Would Snape want him to use his real name? Better safe then sorry, he thought.

"My name's Nathan….You can call me Nate." The boy nodded, and Harry relaxed his shoulders. All he had to do now was become accustomed to being called Nate.

"I'm Dylan, that's Nick, and that's Sam."

Dylan had short, pin straight, black hair, and grey-green eyes. Nick looked a lot like Dylan, only younger with more brownish hair. He looked tougher too. Sam was as tall as Nick but had brown, messy hair like Harry's, and hazel eyes.

Dylan, turning to the other team, introduced them. They looked a lot different. He remembered it like this. The tallest one was Jake. The shortest one was Mat. The dirty blonde was David, and the darkest one was Danny. Harry was bound to forget these names, but for now it didn't matter. Dylan and Jake showed him how to play, and found that it wasn't as hard as it seemed. By the end of the game, Harry…or Nate…. had scored twice. But ironically enough, the game ended in a tie when Danny was forced inside by who was probably his mom. All of them were walking when Sam turned to Harry.

"So your from England, yes? What are you doing staying with the old bat?"

Harry started to laugh hysterically…_so much for not wanting to look like I was crazy_, thought Harry.

"I'm sorry" Harry said, still laughing,

"it's just that at….my boarding school…. that's exactly what everyone calls him"

The boys nodded and repeated the question. Harry once again found himself in a dilemma. There was no way he would say that he was related to the Potions master and he needed to think quickly. The first thought that came to his head was what the Dursley's would tell people, so he quickly twisted it to fit the situation.

"My family..sent..me..with him..because…..because they thought my behavior was horrible. They said it was either him or Saint Brutus'."

This caught Nick's attention. He had been rather quiet until then. His voice was really deep.

"My ma wanted to send me there this year. Said that if I don't start behaving I'd go there next year…"

"Yeah it's one of the toughest in the world. I heard they were mad strict and would beat you for like….waking up a minute late.", said Mat.

Harry barely held back the flinch at the thoughts he associated with that comment. What Harry didn't notice was how Dylan had noticed and was sharing a look with the others. Before the silence became awkward, David attempted to change the subject.

"So are we going to Spiral's or Venom's?"

"What?" Harry said.

David smirked at he explained how they were two of the best fast food joints around.

"Spiral's always has rookie bands playing. They're not that bad though. At Venom's you could tell the employees to eat something, and if they do it they get paid extra. They're pretty cool."

Then Mat said, "Yeah, once I asked this lady to eat the pizza with chocolate sauce, sushi, and pickles. She did but she threw up afterwards, it was hilarious."

Harry shook his head.

"Thanks but I don't think I can go today, I don't really have the time….I have other things to take care of."

All of them nodded there heads in understanding.

"Ok so why don't we just go to the corner store to get some sodas.".. Harry agreed and they made there way to the store.

They took longer then expected when the cashier had checked to make sure they didn't steal anything before they could leave. Seeing the guy looking at Harry like he was disgusting, Harry knew he would already be considered a juvenile delinquent in the area…not like it mattered.

Looking at the times, he was startled to see that he was already twenty minutes late. He gave the guys a brisk explanation before he broke off into a run towards the house. Reaching it, he saw Snape in the front, scowling both at him and something behind him. Turning around he then realized that all of them had followed him back.

He didn't have time to say anything as his arm was grabbed roughly by Snape. That would leave a mark…. Snape didn't look back as he dragged Harry through the door, cutting them off from the staring boys.

Reaching the muggle apartment of the house, Snape laid into him immediately.

"MUST you always do the opposite of what you're told? Did you even stop to think that I might have had good reason to limit your time? As though I would WANT you in here!"

Harry winced at that, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Tonight is a full moon you dunderhead! Do you WANT to be torn to shreds? Or are you stupid enough to depend on the wards to prevent anything from happening?"

Harry was looking at his feet, as though he was wishing to disappear through the floor.

Next thing he knew Snape was directly in front of him. Taking a large step back, he met the wall, and felt too closed in. Hiss breath quickened and he visibly tensed. Snape, not oblivious to this, stepped back.

"Potter... just get out of my sight. I doubt you will ever learn that the purpose of restrictions is for your own safety…" When Harry didn't budge, Snape barked,

"OUT!", and Harry quickly jogged up the stairs and into Snape's guest room.

(((((((Snape's View)))))))

Snape was currently sitting at his normal place at the kitchen table. He had just told Potter to be down within the next ten minutes. That same second the boy arrived.

After a slight hesitation, he took the seat next to Snape. Right afterwards he started piling his plate high with food, as though it would be gone at any second. Knowing the boy would never be able to finish what he had on his plate, Snape, annoyed, reached out to grab the boy's wrist.

When Potter tried to escape, he only gripped tighter. Snape realized by the look on the boy's face, that his grip was tighter then intended. Abruptly he let go, before the boy went into a full-blown panic attack.

Not ten minutes later the food Potter had eaten was regurgitated. Knowing this would happen, he was caught off guard when Potter grabbed the tablecloth in a fruitless attempt to clean up the mess. After three attempts at telling the boy to stop, he grabbed Potter's shoulder, only causing him to fall back into the bile. Potter continued to stumble backwards and Snape sighed in frustration. Next thing he knew, the boy had disappeared. Accidental magic no doubt.

After cleaning up the mess, Snape decided that the best place to check was the room behind the wall that the boy had disappeared through.

He opened the door to an apologizing boy. He had to yell before Potter was able to hear him. Instead of having a fit, Snape explained why he had told Potter to stop. And, for some reason, he felt obligated to reassure the boy that he would not be deprived of food there. When the boy seemed skeptical, Snape had doubt about that being the right thing to do. The boy then asked if he should go back and clean up the mess. As if he didn't know Snape wouldn't leave his floor like that…He explained so to Potter and a silence followed. Interrupting it, Potter asked if he could go outside.

Knowing it was a good way to have some Potter-free time, he said yes without a second thought and told him to remember his wand. Only after the boy went up to his room did Snape think. The wards weren't exactly the best. Anything could happen…and he knew from experience that there were werewolves around the area.

Refusing to give up anytime he could get without Potter, he told the boy that he must be back within the next three hours. Again, Snape wondered if he had done correctly. Three hours will pass well before nightfall, and a rule breaker like Potter would have no problem "losing track of time." _Well what's done is done…_ he thought, making his way to his lab.

88888888888888888

Checking the time, Snape saw that the brat was already fifteen minutes late. Anger surged through him as he made his way to the door. Not five minutes later, he saw Potter running down towards him. _He probably saw me outside and attempted to fool me….acting as if he gave a damn about my rules. _What annoyed him more was the boys following Potter. Of course, it was just like the brat to become friends with the worst of the neighborhood. Always making noise and such…. The second the boy was in reaching distance, Snape grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside, not even bothering to turn back.

"MUST you always do the opposite of what you're told? Did you even stop to think that I might have had good reason to limit your time? As though I would WANT you in here!"

Snape knew that it was a low blow, but he couldn't find it in himself to care.

"Tonight is a full moon you dunderhead! Do you WANT to be torn to shreds? Or are you stupid enough to depend on the wards to prevent anything from happening?"

Next thing he knew he was directly in front of the boy, who had visibly tensed.

Stepping back, he barked at the boy to leave before his anger took control of him. When the boy didn't budge, he yelled

"OUT!"

He was glad that the boy had left that time or he would've done something that would come back to haunt him. Leaning against the wall, Snape took a deep breath. It seemed that Potter always brought out the worst in him. To make matters worse, he heard an explosion from below. Reaching the lab, the saw a green goop covering nearly everything. The potion had taken two days and plenty of expensive ingredients to brew….and all it took was an unruly boy to destroy it. He had to do something. He grabbed a glass vile and threw it against the wall.

Before he could do anything else, he got himself out and into the room Potter had been in earlier. The training room. Out of all the rooms, he had to have disappeared into that one. At least Potter didn't think to touch anything. If he had, either he would be in pieces, or the room would be. Reaching the room, he muttered a spell and the floor started moving. Targets appeared at different places and times. Snape put everything behind his spells as he attacked and defended himself from the firing targets.

No less then four hours later, and feeling dead tired, he pulled himself to his room. It felt good to be like that. Something about the house seemed to make him angry…or maybe it was just Potter. His last thought before succumbing to sleep was that Potter shouldn't have ever known about that room.

The door was hidden for a reason.

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Review! Please and thank yous.


	14. Uhoh

Harry was laying tensely on his bed, attempting to get a hold on himself. Snape had really looked like….

Taking a deep breath, he tried to relax. Snape wasn't there. It was just him. _Just me…._ he told himself. He felt nervous about what Snape would do the next time he saw him. Harry honestly hadn't realized the time. _I'm so stupid. It's the first time he allowed me to do something…and I don't even follow the ONE rule he had…_And Snape wasn't even thinking about himself, he was thinking about Harry's safety. It may have been on Dumbledore's orders, but that fact that he had done something like that only influenced Harry's guilt.

Harry felt his cheeks burn at the thought of seeing Dylan and the others again. But at the moment none of that mattered. Harry had gotten nothing done out there and now he didn't know what he would do. It was with this thought Harry fell asleep. The next day Harry was the first to wake up. He was about to go downstairs when he noticed the weight room. He decided to use it after thinking about how long it had been since he had done any real exercise.

He passed all sorts of machines before he came to a door in the back. Opening it, he was surprised to see an open field…or at least what looked like one. There was a huge path with marks showing how long you've walked. _So this place is meant for running, _Harry thought.

Walking back to the door, Harry started running. When he finally stopped, his heart was beating rapidly and his legs felt as though they were on fire. But he never felt better. Only after regaining his breath did he realize that he would have to walk ALL the way back to the door. Walking back, Harry started thinking about what Snape had said to him the other day. It had hurt him more then he wanted to admit. It was one thing to know Snape didn't want him, but it was another to hear it directly from the Professor. It isn't Harry's fault that Snape had pulled him from the Dursley's. _But maybe I could've kept him from it. I should've tried harder… then so many things wouldn't have changed…._

By the time Harry was back to the bedroom, his mood had dimmed considerably. Checking the time, he felt his stomach plummet as he saw how late it was. Casting a refreshing charm on himself, Harry debated on whether he should go down to eat or not. He was late, so maybe Snape wouldn't allow him to eat. Deciding that it would look worse to stay in the room, Harry made his way downstairs.

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Waking up, Snape finally allowed himself to think of the events of the day before. He refused to admit it, but he actually felt slightly bad for telling the boy he wasn't wanted. Snape knew from experience that it hurt more when its actually been said. Reaching Potter's room, all previous feelings were thrown out of the window.

The boy had left.

He left! He probably knew Snape would refuse to let him go out and simply left on his own. Snape began to pace. Either he should wait for the boy to get back, or he should go look for him. Looking for the brat probably isn't worth the effort and someone should be here for when the boy came back.

Angrily Snape made his way to the kitchen, where he continued to pace. Some time later Potter walked in, playing with his hands and refusing to look up. He knew how Snape would react and yet he had done it anyways! Seeing the boy just standing there. Snape lost it.

Grabbing the boy by the collar, and slamming him against the wall, Snape yelled, eyes flashing. On Harry's part, he wasn't able to register anything Snape said. His head hurt from hitting the wall unexpectedly. He didn't know Snape would react so strongly to him being late. Snape, seeing that Harry wasn't listening to him, lifted and threw the boy to the floor.

After that nothing could be heard but the occasional harsh breath from Harry. It hadn't taken Snape more then two seconds to leave the room…and the apartment. Silently Harry tried to calm himself down. It took every ounce of willpower he had as he continued to remember his Uncle's actions.

_Ok…Professor Snape didn't hit me….he just shoved me…I shouldn't have been late. It's my fault. Breath Harry. _

He silently told himself. Shakily Harry pulled himself up and to the bedroom. Resolving to do anything in order to keep Snape from getting angry.

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Snape was currently in the magic half of the house, reaching for the floo powder. The boy would have to leave. Snape was unfit to parent him. He doubted Potter would leave the house again, so, calling out the Headmaster's office, Snape stepped into the floo.

"I can't do this headmaster. The boy must leave. He's better off at Hogwarts."

Snape looked around only to find that the headmaster wasn't there. Right then the Headmaster apparated in.

"Severus, is there a problem?"

Severus then repeated himself.

"I'm not cut out for this sir. I can't. You leave him there and I guarantee something will go wrong."

Dumbledore easily replied to this.

"Severus, the fact that you came here alone shows that you can do this. Learn from your mistakes. I'm sure you and Harry can works things out, it just might take some time. Show him that you will be a constant in his life whether he wants it or not. He needs that, my boy."

Snape was looking down. His heart ached at his mentor's referral. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. It was about two months after he destroyed his life…by taking the dark mark. Something had told him to go speak to the headmaster.

He had been sitting in the office, not uttering a word. Yet Dumbledore had waited patiently. Only when he was about to leave the office did Albus act.

"Severus…" his hand had frozen on the door knob from the unfamiliar emotion in which Albus Dumbledore had spoken his name.

"I believe you have something to say?"

Severus continued to debate with himself. He knew that this was his only option for survival. It was either this or death. He had nothing to lose….so he went back and sat down, head in hands.

The words he needed refused to form. He barely concealed a jump as he felt a hand on his back. Shaking his head, he rolled up the sleeve of his left arm. He had expected to be kicked out of the office or petrified and taken to the ministry. What he didn't expect was for Dumbledore to pull him up and into a hug.

When it happened he had attempted with all he had to push himself away, but the Headmaster strength wasn't in magic alone. Finally after what seemed like forever, Snape just broke down….and cried. It was his first time since he was nine….and his last up until that very moment in time.

Snape understood what Dumbledore was pointing at, but he had doubt that he would ever be that person…. for Potter especially. Sighing, Snape admitted to himself that he had always seen the Headmaster as a constant since then but he still had times where he was afraid that Albus would turn his back on him.

"I will try…sir… but please don't be disappointed at my failure."

"I'm sure I will not have to worry about that my boy." With that said, Dumbledore apparated.

Apparently he had something important to do. So Snape returned home, reluctant at seeing the face of his charge. He would have to say something about what had happened, but he was completely new to this and just wanted to lock himself up in his lab. He opened the door of the muggle apartment to find it empty. Doubting the boy was stupid enough to leave the house like that again, he made his way upstairs. Looking in the room, he saw the boy writing, but the second he noticed Snape's presence, he hurried to get up.

"Sir….earlier…I…" Snape interrupted him, however.

"While your deeds do merit punishment, Mr. Potter, I should not have done what I did….and for that….I…apologize." Harry nodded dumbly at the Potion Master's unexpected apology.

Finding his voice again, he replied.

"I….it's ok sir. I shouldn't have been late. It was my fault."

Snape was momentarily confused at what the boy was implying, but shrugged it off.

"Regardless, I shouldn't have reacted like that."

Knowing that he should do something, he offered something that wouldn't have even crossed his mind an hour ago.

"I will be going to a shop at the corner of the street, if you would like to come, you may pick anything within reason…"

Harry was rather reluctant to go anywhere with the potions master at that moment, but he knew if he said no it would not only offend Snape but also cause him to lose his chance to go outside. For all he knew Snape would plan to keep him in for the rest of the summer. He would take what he could get. Standing on the steps, Harry looked about and was somewhat relieved that those guys were nowhere in sight. He doubted he'd be ready to face them yet, and with Snape by his side too.

Reaching the front of the store Harry felt his chest tighten when he realized it was the same store with the owner that didn't trust him. Who knows what he would tell Snape. _Maybe I should just do the opposite of what I think I should do from now on, _Harry thought. Walking into the store, Harry refused to look up from his shoes, and ended up walking straight into someone.

Looking up he found that it was just his luck he that the ran into the shopkeeper.

"You! Back so soon? What of the rest of your…pack?"

Harry was annoyed that they were being talked about as though they were animals, but he said nothing.

"He was here before, you said?" _So this is where the brat went yesterday_, Snape silently thought.

The manager nodded and, with a sneer, told Snape he didn't wish for a second experience. Harry knew he had done nothing wrong, but wisely decided to keep his mouth closed. As Snape moved around getting all the he needed, the shopkeeper followed, attempting a start of conversation.

He seemed closer to Snape then to anyone else Harry had ever seen the man speak to .

"So, Snape, where did you get the boy?"

Snape didn't even hesitate as he replied,

"I'm sorry to say that the boys relatives did not wish to have him home for the summer, thus it was required of me to take him in."

"I can see why they wouldn't." Said the man, eying Harry up and down.

"Planning to straighten him out I hope." It was scary how alike the gleam in this man's eye was to his Uncle's.

Snape tensed slightly."Of course, they wanted him with me specifically for that reason."

Snape felt rather bad after saying that. He had a feeling the boy would take his words to heart. He would have to fix that later, but for now it was vital to keep up appearances. Harry still hadn't moved from his spot, stiff as a board and staring at his shoes.

The boy nearly sighed in relief when the subject of their speech was no longer on him. Shortly after the topic was changed, Snape paid and called Potter to leave. When the boy seemed to not hear, Snape was forced to pull him out of the store by the collar. And with Harry's rotten luck, it was no surprise that Dylan was coming down the street on his skateboard at that same moment. Snape abruptly let go of Harry and scowled at Dylan, causing him to hesitate.

After a second thought though, he continued on his way towards Harry.

"Hey…Nate…err.. Do you think you could come out tonight at five?"

Harry gave a nervous glance at Snape before replying.

"Sorry, I'm rather… busy…maybe another time."

"Right…..ok…I'll see you around then I guess", was all he said before he took off past them.

Neither Harry nor Snape said a thing to the other for the rest of the way. Snape on his part was surprised that the boy had told his friend no. The second he heard the question he expected to have to intervene. Another thing he hadn't expected was for Potter to give them a false name. Perhaps the boy had some brains after all.

As they continued walking, Snape suddenly realized that the attack on Hogsmeade was the next day. There was no use worrying about it however, since it was only to be new recruits. Reaching the house, Snape turned around.

"Potter, though I must admit that you do have a brain somewhere in that head of yours, it was unwise of you to make up a story without advising me first. I could have told them otherwise."

"Sorry sir, but he had asked and…." was all Harry said before Snape cut him off.

"Yes I understand that, but you should have told me afterwards."

Silently Harry was thinking he probably would have if it wasn't for an irate Snape coming at him for being late.

"Well sir, your explanation for me being here matched mine rather well."

The only reaction to the explanation on Snape's part was raised eyebrows. After telling Snape everything he had told the guys, Snape told him that he should become accustomed to the new name. Harry was about to go up to the bedroom, when a flash of white passing him caught his attention. Looking back he saw a Phoenix…. the headmaster's patronus, relaying a message to Snape.

That second, his scar started to burn horribly, and Snape reached to grab his left arm.

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Right when the boy was about to go do who knows what upstairs, Snape noticed a Patronus coming at him. That almost always meant something bad. When the Patronus stopped in front of him, he realized it was the headmasters. Carefully he listened to the message.

"Severus, there are about fifteen death eaters at Hogwarts. They have gotten in through to floo network and the Order is on there way. If you are called, you are to tell Voldemort that I believe that you gave me false information." Snape knew he would be punished as though it were his own fault, but it was a thought out plan. That same second his mark started to burn. After returning a Patronus to Dumbledore, Snape left.

After kneeling to kiss the hem of the Dark Lord's robe, Snape took his place in the inner circle. Angrily looking from one mask to another, Voldemort began to speak.

"I ssee that our new recruits were too eager to WAIT. It appearsss….that they have broken into Hogwartss."

Several of the more stupid death eaters in the back started to whisper at that.

"SILENCE!" All whispers immediately stopped.

"Had they informed us of this before, this may have been the day where I began my reign."

"Severus. What hass the fool told you of the attack?"

"I apologize, my lord, but I believe Dumbledore found my false information to be a diversion."

Snape was unable to say much as he stoically took the cruciatus curse that was thrown at him. As through nothing had occurred, the dark lord continued,

"I truly hope the fool doesn't catch them all. I need them here to destroy by myself… Tell Dumbledore that the invasion was unknown by me, or the recruits would have been a greater force and much less foolish. And Severus, you are to continue to fight alongside them. Dismissed."

No one needed to be told twice, for only Bellatrix would be stupid enough to attempt to speak to the Dark Lord in his present condition, and perhaps the rat as well. Most were shocked that the Dark Lord had made so little use of his torture methods, but then he was too buzy harboring his anger towards the foolish amateurs.

Review? :)


	15. The cold truth

Harry was still at the exact same spot he had been at when Snape had left. The only difference was that he was curled into himself on the floor with a massive headache. He had seen the entire meeting from when Snape entered to when they dispersed. He had felt like Voldemort himself. Every feeling had been the same. The only thing that confused Harry was the mistrust and suspicion. There wasn't much, but it was there, though only when speaking to the potions master.

He would need to tell Snape that when he got back. Doubting that would be anytime soon, Harry slowly made his way up the stairs. He contemplated finding himself a potion for his headache, but immediately forgot about it when he thought of Snape's reaction to Harry going through his things. Instead he decided to lie back with his eyes closed. He nodded off wondering about how the hell those death eaters got into Hogwarts in the first place. Didn't the Headmaster check the wards two days ago?

It was late afternoon when Snape returned. Honestly, the battle wasn't as easy as anticipated. Those death eaters had thought of everything. There only problem was that they were outnumbered. It was almost as though the Dark Lord had known of the attack…. He would need to speak with Dumbledore. In the mean time, however, he would need to see what the boy was up to. He opened the door to the room in time to see Potter startle awake. Perhaps he shouldn't have made so much noise. Then he noticed the boy's scar was inflamed.

"Potter, what happened?"

"Err…. nothing sir. I.. had a vision, I think."

Snape looked the boy over closely, making him slightly uncomfortable. "On what, may I ask?"

"The meeting, sir. I could feel Vo…you know who's every emotion..and… I'm…not sure… you should continue spying sir." Snape waited for the boy to go on.

"Whenever he would speak to you, I could feel a distrust. I think he's suspicious of you…"

Snape rebuked sarcastically, "Of course he's suspicious of me, do you think the Order is any better?"

Harry flinched violently at the tone. "Sorry, sir…. I just thought I should tell you."

Snape knew that the boy had only meant to warn him. Not thinking too much on what he about to say, he said, "Thank You, Potter. But I am well accustomed to the distrust held towards me."

Reluctantly, Snape forced out the next sentence. "We shall be continuing occlumency, Potter."

Harry looked like he was about to start when Snape help up a silencing hand.

"I know very well how the last attempt ended. But this is vital, there is only a matter of time before the Dark Lord realizes that you have access to his mind, perhaps when strong emotion is shown by him. We will not have a repeat of last year, will we Potter?"

Harry flinched again, cautious after everything that had happened. "No sir, we won't"

Snape almost felt bad for referring to the Department of Mysteries. Almost. He did not forget the pensieve incident, but he'd be sure that there wont be a repeat of…that. He still felt obligated to slightly reassure Potter though.

" However, things will be slightly different this year. I…..realized…that I was being slightly unfair before…that will change."

Snape continued to surprise him. Harry looked slight incredulous when Snape had said _slightly_ unfair, but he wasn't about to complain.

The fact that Snape said anything of the sort was enough. Feeling a weight settle on his shoulders, Harry looked up.

"So when shall we start, sir?"

Snape thought for a second. He had things to do. "Tomorrow morning at ten."

"Yes sir" Harry replied.

With that done, Snape left, making his way down to the kitchen. Making himself a cup of tea, he sat down at the table. Thinking back to what Potter had said, he couldn't help but connect it to the way the attack on Hogwarts seemed so planned. Maybe his time as a spy really was coming to an end. Feeling his chest, he made sure the invisible portkey to the back of the headmaster's office was still on. Once he was found out, he would feel helpless concerning the order. Being number two on the Dark Lord's wanted list wouldn't exactly be helping.

Then there was the fact that the death eaters got through in the first place. He nearly dropped his cup when realization hit him. He had gained entrance to Dumbledore's office with neither password nor permission. If only he had been thinking straight at the time this whole thing could have been prevented. How did he miss that? But… if the whole thing was planned, maybe the capture of Cardelus had only meant to divert their attention. But it still didn't make sense.

Snape was sure that when the Headmaster had checked the wards he included the floo network. Unless… unless there was a spy at Hogwarts. It could be anyone really. What narrowed it down was that not many people returned to Hogwarts during the summer. He knew speaking to Dumbledore about the matter couldn't wait, so after telling the boy, Snape made his leave.

Meanwhile, Harry was staring unseeingly at his books. Finally over the shock of Snape admitting his cruelty, he waited in trepidation. Although he had no reason not to believe the man, he couldn't help but worry over learning occlumency again. They both knew he was rubbish at it. And he still had no idea how to clear his mind! Snape would see all of those things he had tried to keep from everyone. Oh well. There was nothing he could do but wait. He ended up reading his defense text for the next hour, as he really didn't feel up to doing homework.

The conference with Dumbledore didn't go as expected, like so many other things these days. First of all, he didn't expect that anyone but the Headmaster could be in the office. Charging in there wasn't exactly the best idea. Especially since the guest was rather paranoid, holding a wand to Snape's chest the second he burst in. Then, Snape realized, he had seen this man from somewhere.

He couldn't put his finger on it, but forced himself to push the thought aside for later, having much more important matters at hand.

"Ah, well, Mr. Sherwood, I will be in contact," Dumbledore told the man, clearly in dismissal.

"Of course, headmaster" he replied, before departing, though not before shooting a glare at Snape, however, who didn't so much as look questioningly at the headmaster when he explained who the man was.

"That, my boy, is our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Broderick Sherwood."

"I am sure that I've seen that man somewhere before." Snape replied, looking suspiciously at the door Sherwood had just went through.

"I'm sure you have, he is an undercover for the order." Dumbledore said.

_Of course_, Snape thought. He had seen that man at headquarters, once, after he had returned from a death eater meeting once.

Snape knew he would not get along with this man but, for everyone's sake, he would just keep his distance. As if suddenly remembering what his original intentions for visiting Hogwarts were, the determined Potions master began to question Dumbledore about the people who has passed through the floo network as of late.

It became a problem as the headmaster said that all of the teachers had come back at one point or another. Snape then asked if Sherwood had been to Hogwarts before this. After conforming this, Dumbledore stated that he trusted Sherwood.

Knowing it would be fruitless to argue, Snape simply shook his head and left the headmaster to inspect the floo network, the whole time muttering about trusting old fools, fully aware that Dumbledore had heard him.

Reaching the house, Snape made his way up to his bedroom. He was about to go in when he heard a whimper. Sighing, he turned around and made his way to Potter's room. Not forgetting what Potter did the last time he tried to wake him up, Snape considered dousing him with water. He rejected the idea and decided to call out to him by his first name. That seemed to work last time.

"Harry. Harry wake up!…. It's just a dream. Come on P..Harry. Up, Potter! Harry, it's not real!" Snape sighed. He steadily moved closer, ending up sitting at the edge of the boy's bed. He could see the boy starting to wake up. Less then a minute later the boy opened his eyes. He was trembling with a cold sweat and Snape allowed himself to feel.

He had realized when he had….hurt….Potter… that he was acting so cold because, although he hated to admit it, he didn't want to see P..Harry for who he really was. He knew he had to change that if they both were to live through the summer. He would get this boy to trust him. It wouldn't be easy, though, and Snape was struggling to find something to say.

"Would….would you like a glass of water?" Wearily Harry shook his head, not trusting himself to speak without a tremor in his voice. Snape had said it wasn't real. But it was real. They were all dead. And it was all his fault.

He looked up to see Snape staring at him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Snape asked hesitantly.

Harry shook his head no. He knew he wouldn't be able to even if he wanted to. He was still hesitant to tell Snape anything. He grew up keeping everything to himself as a necessity, and old habits died hard.

Snape gave an uncharacteristic sigh before leaving the room. Two minutes later he came back, dreamless sleep in hand.

After thanking Snape profusely, Harry took the potion and was fast asleep a few minutes later. Snape continued to look at him. He looked so young and helpless, curled into himself like that.

Snape reached out to push away the hair from the boy's face. He froze when he realized what he did. Shaking his head, he blamed it on how tired he was. After changing and lying in his bed, Snape silently wondered about how Potter….no…Harry… was changing him. He wasn't sure if it was for the better, and he wasn't sure he was going to like it. But it was the way things were going, and he wasn't going to interfere with it.

* * *

When Harry got up the next morning, he was immediately assaulted with memories of the night before and audibly groaned. Snape had been surprisingly comforting about it. Harry still wasn't sure those comforting words hadn't been a dream. Not bothering to look at the time, he realized it was still early, he also knew he wouldn't be able to sleep again.

After finishing with his morning routine, he laid down on his stomach after taking some parchment out of his trunk. He use to draw all the time before, but needing to stay, and keep everyone else, alive, got in the way, and he stopped. It use to be the only thing he could do when he was younger. He would find small pieces of crayon thrown out by Dudley and use it to color. He had soon learned to love drawing. It gave him something to do, something that required concentration when he needed a distraction from it all.

All he had with him now was his quill. He didn't really wish to draw anything in particular. He decided to draw Hogwarts, his home. He had tried once, back in his first year, but that didn't turn out so well. Before he knew it two hours passed, and he jumped when Snape knocked on his door. Putting the parchment onto the desk, he stood as Snape entered. He told Harry that breakfast was in half an hour. Harry nodded, putting away his things and making up the bed before he went downstairs.

Looking at the set up table, he hesitantly took his place and, when Snape looked at him expectantly, he took some toast and a strip of bacon onto his plate. He jumped as the silence was shattered. He seemed to be rather jumpy that morning. "You need to eat more then that…Harry….they'll think I'm starving you at this rate." Snape said, piling some more food onto the boy's plate. "I'm sure you can manage that much, but do not force yourself if you can't." Harry refused to let his jaw drop open at the use of his first name, and he could feel his cheeks redden as he thought of the last time he tried forcing himself. As if suddenly remembering something himself, Snape asked, "Potter when was the last time you ate?"

"Err…I think…. I had some lunch yesterday, sir." Snape cursed himself. He had never given much thought to the three meals a day thing. He ate when he was hungry and there were elves back at the manor to take care of Draco when he visited. Unknown to Harry, a Hogwarts elf had brought over all of there meals upon Snape's request. Knowing he would not go to the manor this summer, Snape thought about starting to fix up the magical half of the house. Once that was done he would get an elf or two to make life easier.

Maybe he would start this afternoon, but right now he had a charge to teach occlumency to. Merlin help him if these lessons went as badly as last time. Seeing Potter finish the last of his orange juice, the two of them moved to the training room. It was different though. It now had a sofa at one corner and a water fountain next to it. For some reason Harry felt like he was at some sort of shrink's office._Why a water fountain when they could use magic? _He turned to Snape, who was looking at him closely. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

"Do you trust me Pot….Harry?" Harry looked down. He wasn't sure about the answer to that himself. Did he trust the Potions master? Honestly, he did. Yes, it was hard for him to confide in the man, but that could be said for anyone else he trusted.

"Yes, sir."

"Are you sure? This won't work if you aren't able to trust me boy," Snape rebutted.

Harry's flinch at this statement wrongfully gave Snape the idea that the boy wasn't telling the truth. But Harry hated when people called him boy.

"I'm sure, sir. I trust you." Snape nodded his head in acceptance.

"Ok Pot…Harry, try to clear your mind."

"Err… I'm still not quite sure how I am to do that, sir."

"Clearing your mind is different for everyone, only you will know what will work."

Harry wasn't sure if it was a good idea to ask Snape what he did, but decided to anyways.

"How do _you_ do it?"

When Snape's only answer was silence, Harry decided that he shouldn't have spoken, and stared at his shoes, ready to apologize. But then Snape did reply, albeit belatedly.

"I actually learned occlumency at a really young age, from my mother…. She would sing... a song…and this particular song seemed to have... a supernatural tendency... to separate the pains of life... into another realm. It gave me... a sense of peace that allowed me to concentrate on building a shield within my mind…" Abruptly Snape stopped, realizing that he had said too much while in that trance-like state.

After seeing the look on the boy's face though, he wasn't too worried. He was about to see Potter's thoughts, after all. If Potter dared to repeat a word of it to anyone, the scrawny boy's life could easily be turned to misery. But maybe the Potter…the Harry… he had yet to see, could be trusted. Looking again at the boy, Snape saw that is was now he who was in a deep trance.

Deciding it best not to disturb him, Snape kept quiet until the boy opened his eyes.

"Ok, I'm ready, sir." Harry said serenely.

Trying his best to throw a weak attempt, Snape shouted "Legilimens!"

If Snape hadn't been looking for it, he wouldn't have seen it, but there was something there. A shield. It was fragile, and nearly see through, like murky water, but a shield nevertheless.

He was going to retreat, but then he realize he should wait and see if Harry would be able to push him out. Then a single memory captured his attention. He could feel the fear coming off from it. It was when Potter was in his private lab, where he had almost hit the boy. Snape had forgotten about that one detail, and now he felt rather guilty, especially since he now knew how Harry had felt that day. After he retreated, he saw the boy shakily standing on his feet, and realized he should've stopped earlier, but he was rather caught up in the memory.

"That was… not bad, Harry" Harry couldn't help but grin at the rare praise from the potions master. It took all Snape had not to scowl and take it back.

"Keep doing what your doing, but you need it to be _much_ stronger then that."

Harry nodded, and again Snape casted the spell. There was no noticeable barriers this time. All Snape saw was flashes of memory. A young Harry making breakfast, Harry riding buckbeak, Harry running on a seemingly endless track. Snape ended it there. This time Potter was on his knees and breathing as though he had just ran a marathon.

When the boy was finally coherent, Snape said "Your first attempt had shown much more promise then your second. I don't know if it's because you were tired out or because you switched tactics but it's important we find out before continuing."

Looking at the boy more closely, he saw that …Harry was clearly in pain. "Are you alright Potter?", he asked.

"Yes sir…it's just… my head hurts a little." By the look on the boy's face Snape could see that the pain was a little more then a little.

After getting him the necessary potion, Snape asked "Is this a normal occurrence after every time you attempt to occlude, Harry?"

"Yes sir" he replied.

After the headache receded a bit, Harry voiced his thoughts. "Sir, is there no book that can help me?" T

here and then, Snape decided it was time to rid the library of anything dark.

"Ok Potter…Harry….I think that is enough for today. I assume you hadn't remembered how difficult it had been last time we tried to do this. I will attempt to search out a book you may read on the subject. Therefore, I will be in the magic half of the house for the rest of the day. "

Harry nodded, wondering what he was going to do for the rest of the day. Snape was wondering the same thing when he remembered something.

"When did you make use of the track?" Snape asked. As much as Harry hated to remind Snape of that day, Harry replied,

"err… the day I was late for breakfast…sir…. was I not allowed in there? I'm sorry, I didn't know I just thought you said I could go anywhere….but I should've realized you probably didn't mean it literally." As Harry continued to babble, Snape was outwardly groaning.

_No no no no no no NO!_ Snape silently berated himself. But if Potter had been in there why hadn't he _said_ something?

Or maybe he was just too used to a guardian berating him for nothing, but then he remembered how the boy had told him he shouldn't have been late….Potter thought Snape had gotten so angry because he was _late_? Was he really that mean to the boy that he would think that?

Snape suddenly knew that he screwed up. Badly. And then his reaction to it. The boy had only apologized, not even trying to defend himself.

Snape's thoughts were running wild. He was turning into his father, his sick excuse for a father. He couldn't let that happen, no way in hell. He would no long jump to the worst conclusion, not if the result could really be this detrimental.

"Potter, you thought I was angry because you were _late_?"

Harry swallowed, trying to remember anything else he had done wrong that day. Numbly Harry shrugged, wondering if it might set Snape off.

Sighing, Snape asked, "Have I really been that cruel to you that you believed me to react like that for you being late?"

Harry was staring holes into his feet, unsure of what to say.

"I'm so... sorry... Potter….Harry." Snape said.

Harry's sudden reaction nearly gave him whiplash. He saw in the professor's eyes the genuineness of the apology, the rare bout of emotion he had never before witnessed from Snape. His head started to spin, and Snape practically had to lift him to the sofa. Snape had just _apologized_ to him! He didn't simply hint at it, he actually apologized! And for what?

Curiosity got the better of him and he had to ask. "For what, sir?"

"For reacting that way! Potter…Harry…. I thought you had left the house! Even if you had, look at the way I reacted! I am as bad as your relatives."

Now Harry knew that wasn't true. Compared to his relatives Snape was a saint.

"No your not. If you thought I left, I deserved that. It's ok I should've told you where I was going."

That simple sentence had shown how much the child had endured at his relative's hands. It angered him greatly that the boy had dealt with that.

"NO ONE deserves that Potter…"

It may have been the confusion Harry had already been going through, but it sounded as Snape was trying to convince himself of that as well as Harry. Harry was starting to find it annoying how Snape would alternate from his first to last name, but he said nothing. He rather liked it that the professor called him Harry and he didn't really want it to stop. It made it seem as though the potions master might actually like him…or not hate him at least.

Taking a deep breath, Snape stood up, emotionless mask back in place. Well, while I indeed regret my overreacting, there's nothing to be done about it now. Snape was going to the magic half and, knowing he needed to do something to help settle his conscience, Snape asked him,

"Would you like to go outside? You may get your clothes and other things if you so desire….but you must be back by seven, and, not that I believe you would, no going further then five miles."

Not stretching his luck, Harry agreed right away. He jumped to get what he needed from his room and left right after. Silently Snape wondered if he should have done that. It made no difference to his conscience, but he would live, seeing the boy content gave him some impression that he could make up for what he'd done.

XxXxXxXxXx Meanwhile, outside XxXxXxXxXx

"I saw Nate yesterday."

Dylan was speaking to his younger brother, Nick. The whole group was there at Dylan's house, watching TV and raiding the fridge. It was David that replied though.

"You .never. see the kid leave that house. Sometimes I wonder if Snape has him chained down somewhere or something. From what your mom told us, I wouldn't be surprised if that was true. Like father like son after all." Right after saying these words tough, he regretted it, and looked towards Danny, who was looking at them with a face void of emotion.

"It's alright. I don't consider that man my father." he said.

Danny had always looked and acted too old for his age. It was from the stress of taking care of his little sister and keeping them away from their father…before he had left anyways.

Dylan continued, "Yeah, well, I think I'm gonna invite him over for lunch tomorrow." Nick snorted.

"If Snape lets him outta the house." he said.

They all nodded in agreement at that.

"Well it wouldn't hurt to try" Nick said hopefully.

Unknown to any of them, they were all thinking the same thing. It wouldn't hurt _them_ to try. Looking out the front window, Mat saw Harry coming out of the house and told the others. All of them were outside within the minute.

"Hey!" Sam said, the first to reach Harry.

"Hello…err… sorry about the other day Dylan…. I was sort of buzy.", Harry replied.

"Hey, no worries.", Dylan replied.

After a few more minutes of idle chatter, a group of them started a basketball game. And, of course, Harry was once again coerced into playing.

_Great… another sport to make an idiot out of myself with. _Harry thought, before following the others.

Thanks for reading, review Please! :)


	16. World of Muggledom

Honestly, wizards really needed give muggles a little more credit. Harry soon found himself very into the game. He was better at this then soccer anyways. He swiftly stole the ball from Jake and shot it straight through the net. And they said he only had grace in the _air! _This was very quickly and easily becoming Harry's favorite sport. Soon the glaring heat of the sun became too much to bear and he found it tempting to remove his shirt like the rest of them already had. Normally he would feel self-conscious without a shirt on, but he was too hot to care at the moment. Only after removing it did he realize his mistake. All of his scars stood out in bright contrast to his skin. There were also the bruises Snape had left on his arms when he had grabbed him. He was fumbling to replace his shirt when he noticed most of the guys looking at him. He also noticed Nick and Dylan talking quietly on his left, Danny staring at his feet.

Feeling his cheeks smolder, Harry hurriedly pulled the shirt to rights. It seemed like everyone was shocked out of their trance when Jake spoke.

"Woah! Dude, did Snape do that?"

Harry knew that all of them would have their ears hung on his every word, so he spoke carefully.

"No, those were from a long time ago, Snape had nothing to do with them."

It was apparent that not one of them believed him. He couldn't help but wonder why he cared what they thought of Snape.

"Nate if he's not being…fair… with you then you should speak up. I mean, I'm sure my parents won't mind you staying by me." Dylan said.

It didn't miss Harry's notice how much they all seemed to care, despite the fact that they barely knew him, and it felt _good_.

"It's ok, don't worry about it. Snape didn't leave those scars." _Just the bruises_, Harry thought.

He wished they would let it go. Thankfully, they were distracted when someone came out to get David.

Using this distraction to his advantage, Harry asked, "Why is it that David's mum is always in a rush to get him inside?"

It was Nick that answered the question. "Well, he's only twelve first of all. But the thing is that his brother, Ravin, died about five years ago. Ever since then his mom's been very overprotective. It was pretty hard on everyone. Those weren't exactly the best years for us. Things are a little better now. Even his mom isn't as paranoid as she use to be."

Harry wanted to know how the boy had died, but could see that none of them would be comfortable speaking of it. It wasn't really their story to tell, after all.

"Why is it that everyone around here sees you as the err….problems of the neighborhood?" They laughed at that.

"Well besides the fact that everyone around here hates people under the age of thirty, we might have been a little reckless before.", Dylan replied, and someone coughed noticeably at that reply.

"Ok, well… it's not really our fault that the ball happens to hit... and break... windows… accidentally... And when Ravin died, we sort of became even more careless. I think that was mostly because he was the one to keep us out of trouble… sometimes. We were little, we didn't know any better. I guess part of me was hoping he would come back if he felt the need to knock our heads together."

Harry wasn't too sure of what to say. "Er… sorry."

Nick, realizing his brother had forgotten the point of the conversation, decided to ask the question instead.

"Hey Nate, do you wanna come over for dinner tomorrow? We're all gonna be there, except David probably."

Harry wasn't sure of what to say. He was anxious over Snape's reaction to him asking permission, and all the guys could see it.

"I'll have to ask, I'm not sure if I'll be able to though. He kept himself from saying he was busy, it was a lame excuse to keep using. "Ok. So err… what time do you have to get back?" Dylan asked. Harry replied, "I have to be back by seven today, can someone remind me around six-thirty?"

"Sure," Sam and Jake answered.

"Let's go to Mcdonalds!" Matt yelled ecstatically. Everyone laughed.

"Ok. Nate your coming right?" Dylan asked.

"Alright" Harry replied.

"Well hurry up!" Dylan grabbed his skateboard and the rest of them took off in a run after him.

Arriving at McDonalds, Harry looked around. He had only seen one once, when his relatives had taken them. He had to stay in the car but he still remembered the wonderful smells of the food they had brought back with them. Now he would finally get to taste it. They found a table at the back, right next to the children's play area. Harry was seated facing it and he couldn't help but laugh at the children's antics. He had always wanted to play in one of those giant mazes. What possessed him to do what he did next, he had no idea, but he grabbed the person closest to him, Danny, and ran straight into the play place. Unexpectedly, Danny only smiled and followed him.

They reached the top, which was open so they could actually stand up. Looking around, Harry saw the rest of the guys laughing at them…. and Sam took out a camera. All Harry did was put his arm around Danny and smiled, nearly tipping them over in the process. Sam took another picture as Danny elbowed Harry in the gut. Ten minutes later that were back on solid ground, calmed down and returning to the table. Harry thankfully saw that the food was already set out for them.

"Who paid for this?" Harry asked.

"Don't worry about it", Dylan replied with a tone that left no room for argument, before he dug into his food, everyone else following. Half way through, Harry felt someone tap his shoulder. Looking to his left, Dylan mumbled for him to look the other way. He ended up looking straight into the eyes of a girl Dylan must have caught staring at him. She didn't look away, and Harry realized that she looked just like…his mum! She had Harry's green eyes, and golden red hair. The only difference may have been that she was a bit darker, if you can really tell that much from a picture. The girl had on a deep green dress shirt thing that only seemed to make her eyes glow brighter. He didn't know what they called it but it didn't matter, she was beautiful, and Harry blushed before looking away. A girl like that would never really want him anyways.

He looked up again and felt a disappointment as he saw her leave, a little boy holding her hand and talking excitedly. Jake caught his eyes and spoke.

"Dude! What's wrong with you? She was practically asking you to go talk to her!" he said. Harry looked down, attempting a smile.

"Nah, she was probably just looking at my eyes, it's not a very common color and hers are the same."

All of them looked at him exasperatedly, shaking their heads before going back to their food. He heard Danny snickering on his right side.

A very content Harry walked out, wondering about all the other delicacies he must have missed out on.

"What time is it?" he asked, to no one it particular.

"Just about three," one of the replied.

Harry turned around,"Um.. Well I'm supposed to go buy clothes now.", not bothering to hide his grimace as he said that.

"Could one of you show me to a good store?"

"Right this way" Jake replied, leading them.

Dylan rolled his eyes and explained that Jake was a total girl when it came to clothes and cologne and all that junk.

Jake, overhearing him, shoved Dylan before saying, "It's not my fault you guys prefer to dress like homeless mutts." Harry flinched unnoticeably.

"Come on Nate! I know the perfect place. It has…" He continued speaking animatedly as he explained all the different styles they would be able to choose from.

As they shopped, Harry couldn't help but be slightly relieved that he had Jake. He knew nothing about muggle fashion, besides the average jeans and t-shirts. The rest of the guys had decided to wait at the Gamestop store next door. Between Jake and the assistant, a tall, thin, lady with blonde hair, Harry had enough clothing for life.

"So you need everything, right?" Jake asked.

Harry only nodded, not really thinking about what "everything" meant. Once they measured his sizes, the two of them went to work, making their way through the aisles and leaving Harry in the dust. Looking idly, Harry sees a pair of…_purple_ jeans… in the cart he was rolling. And not only that, they looked much too small to be able to fit him comfortably. Maybe it was because he was accustomed to Dudley's sizes but he had to ask.

"Um…I don't think those are my size…or color", Harry said cautiously.

The assistant was immediately on his case.

"Oh no, dear, this is definitely your size. Your thin as a rake and, believe me, girls will just be chasing you in these skinny jeans with a studded belt."

At this, she pointed to said belt, already in the cart.

"With your good looks I'm sure you'll be needing your mother to fend them off with a broom."

Harry reddened and said nothing at this. He quietly took the belt out and hid it beneath a pile of clothing next to them. Jake pretended not to see this as he directed the lady's attention back to the hoodies they had been staring at.

"I don't think.." Harry was cut off with two identical glares before he could object further.

It wasn't until six-thirty that the guys were heading back to their houses. Needless to say, that was the most fun that Harry had had in a long time, even the shopping bit wasn't that bad. He was telling them goodbye when Dylan reminded him to ask Snape about lunch.

"Ok, well, we'll be out here, let us know if Snape lets you. I could get my mom to talk to him if you wan't."

Harry nodded, trying to imagine Snape's reaction to a muggle woman insisting on Harry coming over for lunch. Walking inside and pushing the door closed with his leg, he continued to smile as he ran all the way up to the room he was sleeping in to put _his _clothes away. Apparently Snape heard him come in, because when Harry turned around from the wardrobe, he saw him leaning on the door.

"You're on time today, I see." Harry was trying in vain to stab down that tendril of fear he couldn't help but feel in Snape's presence. It didn't work and he hated himself for it. He just nodded and continued to stare like an idiot.

* * *

Eyes watering, he reached for the next book, only to drop it when he sneezed for the umpteenth time. He wouldn't be surprised if it were allergies that brought him to his downfall one day. One can only do a refresher spell so many times before getting impatient with it. Snape had finished nearly half the library; about 150 books were to be relocated to a locked room so the boy would be able to look around. He soon realized that nearly every change he made was because of Potter, and scowled. Well, he could leave the rest of it for another day, it won't kill the boy to wait a little.

Snape had chosen four occlumency books that he would give to Harry. Hopefully they were of some help to him. If not, well… they were all screwed. Picking up the books and opening the massive door, he once again stood in the dining room. Now that dust no longer covered the place, it actually looked habitable. In two or three days time they should be able to move in. He really just needed to confirm that everything remotely dark, or relating to his father, was locked safely in the attic. He wouldn't burn anything just yet.

Snape then resolved that if..Harry… ever worked up the nerve to ask if he could have his friends over, Snape would permit it. He was looking forward to the look of shock he should see on the boy's face. Snape, of course, would hide out in his lab the entire time. And it wouldn't do for the boy to think he was becoming…nice, Merlin forbid. So some threatening would be in order.

Suddenly Snape heard a door close, and realized that the boy in thought had returned. He looked at the time and was sated to see that the boy was five minutes early this time around. Locking to door to his soon to be home, he made his way into the muggle portion, soundlessly walking up the stairs and into the boy's room. He stood their quietly and concealed a smirk when the boy startled from seeing him. He had no smirk to conceal though, after noticing that the sight of him had wiped that sincere smile off of Harry's face, replacing it with a look of caution. Snape realized that, while it may have satisfied him in the past, he no longer liked scaring the boy by his mere presence.

"Your on time today, I see." he said. Harry nodded.

"Well, do you have everything you need?" he asked.

"Yes sir" Harry replied.

Things fell into an awkward silence. Snape deposited the Occlumency books on the boy's desk, telling him that he was expected to read the first four chapters by the next day.

Harry replied "Yes, sir, thank you." before silence once again filled their ears. Snape was about to make his leave when Harry finally managed to work up his nerve.

"Wait..er…sir" he said. Snape turned around, eyebrows raised, waiting for Harry to continue speaking.

"Well… Dylan wanted to see if I could go over to their house for lunch. I mean I don't want him to think that you're keeping me chained up or something…not that he would though. I mean.. I would understand completely if I couldn't..with all the dangers and everything. I'm.." Snape raised his hand and the room fell silent, he knew the boy was ranting due to nervousness.

Harry, taking this as refusal, nodded his head in acceptance. He really could understand though. The man probably had better things to do then worry about where he was. And Harry didn't want to seem ungrateful, like Snape wasn't feeding him or something. _How could I ask that? He's been so decent, and there I go, disrespecting him like that._ Harry berated himself.

He waited for Snape to leave and stood dumbstruck at his next words.

"Make sure his parents are aware of it, and it won't due to linger afterwards if you are not invited to do so."

Harry stood, mouth gaping, he looked up at Snape and could have sworn he saw a hint of humour in his eyes before they were back to their icy emotionless state.

"Right then…thank you, sir. He's already checked with his parents and err… I promise not to embarrass you or anything." He abruptly stopped talking and turned back to the wardrobe.

Snape told him that dinner would be in half an hour, before exiting. Harry felt like childishly jumping up and down. Snape said yes! He suddenly realized that he had been so sure of Snape's rejection to the idea. Ok…now to find something to wear. He once again turned to the wardrobe and looked suspiciously at the purple skinny jeans…

Does everyone like where this story is going? Please let me know, if there isn't enough support I might quit and dedicate time to my next one, "Just Keeps Getting Better". The beginning has already been posted, if you guys want to give it a shot.


	17. Dinner time?

Harry immediately lowered the hood of his emerald green sweater and pulled off his converses before hesitantly stepping inside. Well, it _would_ have been hesitant if Nick hadn't shoved him, marching in and plunging himself into a comfy looking brown couch.

Looking around the plain, narrow hallways, Harry soon encountered a thin, rather pale, looking woman with deep grey eyes, and high set cheek bones. She had her messy brown hair clipped up into a bun and the smile lines of someone who seemed to make the best of any situation. She held him tightly in a hug that immediately took Harry's thoughts to Mrs. Weasley. He missed her.

"Ooh, look at you! Quite the handsome young man you are! So nice to meet you in person, dear! I didn't think you would be able to make it..."

Harry looked himself over quickly, still very self conscious about his new wardrobe. Compared to some of the things Jake had helped pick out for him, Harry's current clothing was calm, being simple skinny black jeans and a green sweater... but it still wasn't something he was used to.

"A pleasure to meet you Mrs...", he swallowed heavily as he realized that he hadn't even bothered to ask what he was to call her.

Naturally, Dylan's mom only smiled at him. "Douglas. But you can call me Suzie, dear."

Harry smiled, unsure of what to say. A slightly awkward silence followed this, before they were all bustled to a well-worn table, set in the middle of a rather cluttered kitchen. Seated there was a heavy-set man, who was currently reading the newspaper.

"Mason, we have company," she said.

When his only response was an unconcerned grunt, she continued.

"It's Nathan, dear. Snape's charge." That got his attention.

Harry was slightly unnerved by the man's uncanny likeness to Vernon Dursley. However, the freely given smile and the genuine look in his grey eyes put Harry somewhat at ease. His uncle's looks always seemed to smack of deception. He never did understand how people could fall for it.

Then, looking at Harry, she said, "Nathan, this is my husband, Mason.", her hand gesturing towards her husband.

"Good afternoon, sir" Harry said, sticking his hand out for a shake.

Eyebrows rose at this greeting. Apparently such manners weren't common around the area.

"A pleasure Mr..." the man looked at Harry expectantly.

"Flint" Harry responded quickly, inwardly flinching at his choice of name.

"But please,sir, call me H..Nathan" Harry continued, clearing his throat and praying no one would notice the slip. Looking around, it seemed as though no one had.

"Of course, and call me Mason, or Mr. Douglas if you prefer. There's no need for this 'sir' business, we're not in the army here." he grinned.

Harry replied with a hesitant nod and smile when Suzie decide to excuse herself.

"I'll just go see what Sara's up to then." she said.

At Harry's questioning look, Nick decided to fill him in.

With a bored tone, he said, "Sarina's our sister. A little brat, she is. Never listens and doesn't shutup..."

Nick only shrugged off his father's glare and sharp response, and Harry looked on cautiously, tense and carefully observing the older man's reaction.

"She does talk quite a bit, Sarina, but she's also quite an added bit of sunshine to your day and Nick's always been slightly jealous of her." Mr. Douglas said jokingly.

The responding snort from somewhere beside them was ignore as Harry forced himself to relax a bit.

"Well then, Nathan, have a seat.", Mr Douglas continued.

Harry did so and, finally able to look around, he saw that there were many magazines and books taking up the area. The fridge was covered in pictures and the only window was dimmed, though not because of the weather. A brick building had been placed directly in front of it. Nevertheless, the home was quite inviting.

Outside, the slow drizzle quickly became a heavy downfall, and the thunder made itself known.

Just then Suzie returned with a young girl in tow. She was quite adorable. She had Dylan's grey eyes, and wavy brown hair up to her waist. She openly stared at Harry, much too aware of the newcomer.

"Hello there!", Harry said with a slight smile and false cheerfulness.

"Hi! Who're youuu?" she said, letting her of her mother hands in favor of standing next to the strange new boy.

"I'm Nathan. What's your name?"

"I'm Sarina. I'm gonna be 11 in two weeks, on August 2nd!" she said proudly.

Harry continued to hold her interest for quite of bit throughout dinner. She was excited that someone was listening to her talk and made her frustration known with pouting when her father decide to interrupt.

"So, Nathan, how are things going over by old Snape's?"

Harry inwardly squirmed at the man's piercing stare. He concentrated on his fork as he replied vaguely.

"Everything's good!" Harry said, with the same false cheer. He had yet to look up at what he knew to be expectant faces. But what more could he say? There was nothing more to it.

Nevertheless, Mason pushed forward, "So he's treating you alright then?", he asked blantantly.

"Yeah! It's great. I mean, I'd stay there for years rather then a day at St Brutus..."

Then Suzie decided to add her two cents at this point.

"You know, Nathan, you'll always be welcomed here if anything were to happen at home..."

Everyone nodded encouragingly at this, including the guys that didn't even live there.

"Erm.. thank you? I mean I'm sure I have nothing to worry about though and...yeah..." The awkwardness was creeping in again.

Harry wasn't sure exactly what Dylan told his parents, but he definitely told them something. And Harry was left unsure as to how to alleviate the situation.

He was openly grateful when Sara decided that the conversation had veered away from her for long enough.

They soon got to eating an amazing sort of cheesy pasta with chicken and marinara sauce. The only problem was that Harry was already much too full. There was no way he could believe that the family ate this much on a daily basis, considering how thin most of them were. He received a few incredulous stares as he announced that he had had his fill. Harry expected this, and he wasn't about to budge. However, he did not wish to make the same mistake twice and take more then he could handle. Harry shuddered as he recalled the incident that occurred during his first night with Snape.

"Are you sure you don't want any more Nathan?", Dylan's mom asked, a concerned look on her face.

"You should really eat some more, you're much to skinny.."

Harry swore to himself that he would be rich if he got a dollar for every-time someone told him that. "No thank you, mam"

"It's Suzie, dear", she reminded him. This mam you speak of is my mother."

Dylan noticeably rolled his eyes from his place besides her. "She still likes to believe she's young" he said cheekily and with a smirk.

Suzie's response was to glare at her son, and Harry was about to force a smile when her sudden hand movement startled him.

Although they were on opposite sides of the table Harry's hands automatically moved to shield himself, and in the process flipped over the ceramic bowl that had been placed above them.

This same second, his mind flashed back years into the past.

Across the street, Snape wasn't fairing much better. After quite an amount of thought, the Professor decided to place the Occlumency books on the boy's desk so that he could avoid the awkwardness that handing them directly to him would entail.

The library was now completely rid of anything remotely dark but he now had plenty to return to order. Again he angered himself because he had yet to place stronger anti-detection barriers on this particular house. He knew it was just being paranoid, but there was simply too much at risk for them to be discovered.

His mind was telling him to leave the clean up for Potter, as it would be a suitable punishment for whatever foolishness the boy chooses to do in the near future. But there was a lot to be done and even with the boy's help it would take a while to put everything to rights.

A rather loud bout of thunder echoed when Snape dropped the large pile of books from his arms, his right hand immediately grabbing at his left forearm. He payed no attention to the cloud of dust he created and swore continuously about the bloody dark lord's bloody horrible timing.

Thinking swiftly, he swooped out of the house and into the pouring rain.

_Heart pounding at a shattering pace, the loud clatter of broken glass resounding in his mind._

_Short, painful breaths._

_A fast, sudden blurr._

_Crack! Pain. burning... **Pain..**_

_Someone's screams __piercing his ears__ from somewhere nearby._

___Black. _Darkness. Relief.

_Freezing blanket of icy water pitching at him._

Coughing, Harry struggled for breath. His new found headache was bordering unbearable. Someone was still shouting, only the voice... voices... were different.

"Nate? Nathan? Come on dude, snap out of it!"

Who was Nathan?... _He_ was.

_Oh, damn._

Harry blinked, praying fruitlessly that the entire thing was just another nightmare, that he was still in bed at Snape's. That Snape would be yelling at him to get up at any moment.

But as he forcibly uncurled himself from the ball he was in, his eyes met directly with the faces of several people, none of them Snape. And they were much too close for his liking.

Apparently they realized this, because they all backed off at once. Harry really had no clue what to say. What _do _you say after something like that?

"Oh, dearie! Oh my poor boy! Honey, it's ok, it's fine. You're here, you're with us now. No one's going to hurt you here. No one's going to hurt you..." Suzie continued to repeat herself as she grabbed him into another hug, and Harry simply didn't have the resolve to move away until another sharp pain ripped through his head. He couldn't hide his grimace at that.

The sound of the doorbell ripped everyone from their thoughts, and Mr. Douglas moved to answer it.

"Mr. Snape!" he said, with no little surprise.

Everyone in the room visibly tensed and moved to observe the man standing at the door, looking all the bit dangerous, and the lightning only served to further emphasize his darkly powerful look.

"Afternoon, Mr. Douglas, is P... Nathan here?" Snape said, stoically.

Unfazed but the lack of emotion, Mason began to reply. "Yes, but he's..." Snape quickly interrupted whatever is was the man was about to say.

"He shall be coming with me, **now**. It is important, though I apologize for interrupting your meal."

Harry, coherent enough to finally realize what was happening, quickly pulled himself up from the floor and all but ran to the door. Belatedly, he called out behind him.

"I'm sorry, I have to go. I'm really sorry for ruining dinner, it was great, really. Thank you, but I really must go now."

Snape dipped his head in acknowledgment before grabbing hold of Potter's arm as they hurried through the pouring rain and into their own building, the Douglas family long forgotten. Snape wasted no time, grabbing what he needed and shoving a dreamless sleep potion into the boy's hands.

"Relax, Potter... and clear your mind as best as you can." Snape said, before he took off through the closet to Merlin knew where.

* * *

So honestly guys, what do you think of it? Progressing too slowly? Too fast?

Review! Please? Suggestions are welcomed. =]


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